Underneath It All
by TheDuckyTie
Summary: Carter Howard never thought that he would wake up 200 years into the future to a world devastated by nuclear apocalypse. When everything around him was deprived, desolate, and monstrous; will he ever be ready to start over? To figure out whose side he's on? To love again? Pairings: Male SS x Piper, Male SS x Curie
1. Only in Dreams

_Living for you_

 _Is easy living_

 _It's easy to live_

 _When you're in love_

 _And I'm so in love_

 _There's nothing in life but you_

He saw himself in the mirror. He could faintly make out Billie Holliday's voice softly streaming from the radio, along with distant whirring of Codsworth's thruster.

He was back. It's 2077. He felt an intense rush of relief wash over him.

He looked to his right, and see Nora brushing her hair, with her head peering onto the mirror, trying to catch a glimpse of her own reflection.

"Hey, move over, big guy," she said. The sound of her voice, to hear her say such mundane sentence brought comfort to Carter. He could feel a smile forming on the corners of his lips as he took in the sight of his wife once again; her olive skin and freshly clipped fingernails tapping along to the music. The faint smell of sandalwood permeates from her short black hair as she continued to brush it gently.

Before he knew it, he reached over and gently grasped the sides of Nora's face. _She is here_ , he thought. I _t was all just a dream. A horrible dream. We're all together again._

As soon as Carter's fingers touched Nora's face, his heart sank as he felt her grow as cold as ice. Her full, rosy cheeks no longer soft to the touch, but hard as a rock. Slowly, Carter witnessed the color drain from Nora's face, a bullet hole planted on the side of her forehead started to show. Blood streamed from the top of her face down to her neck, and finally drenching her blue top.

"Make it stop," Nora murmured. The hairbrush slipped from her grasp, making a loud, hammering sound as it touched the ground.

Carter's heart wrenched as Nora grasped his arms with her cold fingers. He could almost feel the blood in his veins stopping in their tracks as Nora continued to wail. "It's cold. It's too cold. Help me!" she screamed.

Carter frantically searched all around him for something, anything, that could stop the bleeding. To stop Nora's pain. He could see the agony in her eyes, something that he always prayed he would never have to see. Soon, he let out a soundless scream as the walls around him melted down, and he was back within the vault. His world fell apart as Nora dropped like an untied scarecrow, twitching as blood continued to stream down her body. Carter couldn't see straight as his vision turned into a whirlwind, Shaun's cries echoing, overlapped with voices. Preston's, Mama Murphy's, even Dogmeat's.

Then the bombs fall all over again.

* * *

Carter snapped awake in the morning in cold sweat. His heart hammering in his chest, an intense ringing wouldn't escape his ears, as if he really did hear the nuclear detonation from up close.

He looked around, eyes squinting as sunlight burst through the boarded-up windows in his old room. He made a mental note to install curtains soon.

Carter took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. He stumbled out of bed in his briefs, heading straight to the liquor cabinet. He remembered stashing a couple of bourbon there, provided Codsworth hadn't used it to polish the floors yet. He realized that being stored for so long, it would either make the drink taste transcendentally better, or basically a bottle of poison.

Either way, it'll get his mind off last night's nightmarish vision.

As Carter was reaching into the liquor cabinet to find the bottle still sitting there after two centuries, he looked over to the house across the street, where the Minutemen remnants were residing in. He could faintly hear the sound of hammer against nails, brush slick with paint gliding up and down walls, and the crunching of weed being pulled out of soil.

He somehow felt a sense of relief knowing he's not alone.

Carter twisted the cap off his bourbon and took a sip. It tasted so sharp and bitter it's almost toxic. He let out a startled cough as the liquid traveled down his throat, burning its way into his system. His struggle to catch a breath apparently caught Codsworth's attention. The robot butler glided from the backyard to the front door.

"Why, I thought I heard signs of distress, Sir. If I may be so bold, isn't it a tad early for that?"

"It's all good, Codsworth."

"If you say so, Sir. Would you like me to find you some clean clothes, perhaps? I couldn't help but notice that you are, in fact, underdressed."

Carter realized he was still in his briefs, and nodded. "Sure, Codsworth. Thanks."

"Of course, Sir!" he replied gleefully. He's probably just giddy to have someone to serve again. Not that he would mind. He didn't mind doing some home maintenance around the neighborhood, but it did take some toll on his back, especially after his two-hundred-year long nap.

Carter walked back along the hallway leading to his room, and he caught a glimpse of Shaun's old crib. Its blue paint had barely anything left, the supports had rusted to a point it looked so frail that a simple wind blow would turn it to dust. The mobile attached to the headboard only had one rocket left hanging on its wires, looking much too forlorn to his liking.

"I'm coming, buddy." He muttered to himself.

* * *

 **Hi everyone! This is my first attempt at making a Fallout 4 fanfiction, and while I'm still trying to figure out what kind of twists and turns I'd like to add to the story, I think I should tell you a bit about my Sole Survivor, Carter. (I used the last name Howard because that seems to be the default last name a lot of FO fanfic authors use? Lol)**

 **As you already know, my SS's name is Carter. He had Maxson's haircut and very little facial hair, and I really like making him look like a homebody during the initial parts of the game by making him wear flannel shirts and plain leather armor (and yes, this got me pwned to hell by ghouls, mutants, and raiders alike but I guess anything for the aesthetic). He's generally a high-karma character with a solid moral compass, and I had his affinity with all female companions maxed out, but right now he's with Piper. I like to think he's not the type to date multiple girls at once, and I'd like to write about his stints with the female companions during certain points of the story. As of now, I'd like to focus on his developing relationship with our favorite Diamond City reporter!**

 **Fallout 4 belongs to Bethesda.**


	2. Take Me to the Ballpark

_walking from the Arbour way_

 _when spring has come at last_

 _the trees are in their glory_

 _as the taxis rush on past_

 _the buildings are in twilight_

 _the birds they spiral around_

 _as we walk to Fenway park_

 _in Boston town_

* * *

"Where should we head to, General?" Preston asked. His laser musket is strapped on his back and several Stimpaks are safely stashed in his satchel. Carter had spoken to Preston yesterday about making the trip to Diamond City, as per Mama Murphy's instructions—or visions, as she called it—to figure out the heads and tails of Shaun's whereabouts.

"You know where. Diamond City," Carter replied, cocking his .44 pistol, holstering it on the back of his pants. "Sure, we might be following Mama Murphy's drug riddled hallucination, but it's better than a wild goose chase."

"I wouldn't be so quick to discredit Mama Murphy's sight, General," Preston retorted. "If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have met you. We wouldn't have made it to Sanctuary."

Carter fell quiet. He wasn't one to believe in superstitions, but it couldn't be a coincidence that he thawed out almost at the exact moment Preston needed his help.

Maybe it's fair to take the benefit of the doubt just once.

"Let's go, Dogmeat."

The sun rose high at Sanctuary as the two men and the dog made their way to the great green jewel of the Commonwealth. Carter stayed quiet throughout the journey, only speaking whenever Preston asked him something. Carter always thought Preston wasn't the chatty kind, and he was right. When he did speak, he sounded almost eerily toneless that it slightly unsettled him. If it wasn't for the pinned cowboy hat and the fact that he was the last bastion of a noble cause, Carter probably wouldn't have let him and his posse go anywhere near Sanctuary.

The long journey to Diamond City didn't even bother Carter. He couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness as he kept replaying the images burned onto his mind from last night. All he cared about right now is to find Shaun.

Find your son and avenge your wife, he said to himself, over and over again. He could feel himself zoning out, and did nothing to stop himself.

To a point where he didn't even hear faint beeping noises approaching from afar, followed by heavy footsteps and waves of gunfire, all washing towards him.

* * *

They're called Super Mutants. That's what Preston told him. They're big, green, and dumb as rocks. Despite the fact that they have little to no common sense, they're ruthless, and can be lethal when attacking in hordes. Never take on a mutie alone, Preston had said. And look out for mutant suiciders. Once you hear the beeping, you run. Run as fast as you can.

"General! Over here!" Preston shouted, the hum from his laser musket snapped Carter back to reality. As fast as he could, he tackled Dogmeat and brought him to the nearest cover.

Carter spotted the suicider, it clutched a mini nuke chained to his chest, its indicator beeping angrily in red, ready to tear apart anyone foolish enough to linger close to it. "Smashie, smashie!" it shouted. Carter whipped out his .44 and tried his best to set off the bomb while the suicider was still quite far from him.

A lucky bullet hit the bomb outright, causing it to come off in a fiery explosion, splitting pieces of flesh, bone, and sinew of the suicider all over. Remains of its dead comrades that were scattered nearby were blown away by the impact.

Carter squinted his eyes, trying to see through the dust and rubble the bomb left behind. A ruined apartment building had apparently become a new home for these mutants. He could make out about 5 of them on top of the scaffolding, cackling like madmen and frantically gunning down at his direction. "Come out, human! Let's play!" one of them roared.

Carter checked on Dogmeat. The hound growled in anger at the mutants, but Carter knew that releasing Dogmeat on them would mean death for the hound. Carter gripped the rims of his collar tightly, commanding him to stay where he is. He couldn't stand the thought of letting Dogmeat die over something he could probably handle himself.

"No, Dogmeat! _Stay_!" he shouted, as his other hand pulled the trigger over and over again on the mutants, hoping to take down at least one of them.

Suddenly, he heard another burst of gunshots coming from behind the ruined apartments. Carter's heart sank. If raiders joined the party, both him and Preston definitely didn't have enough bullets to take all of them down. He realized he wasn't living in some comic book fantasy where the hero always made it out alive. This was real. He felt pangs of fear sink into his core as the gunshots grew louder.

A bunch of men in padded chest pieces and shoulder pad frames burst from behind. They had on helmets, and wield various weapons. "Die, ugly green fuckers!" one of them shouted.

Carter, still too dazed to process the presence of these sudden saviors, looked in awe as the group of men rallied and exterminated the mutants. One of the guards ran over to Carter's cover and extended his hand. "Jesus, pal, you got a death wish? Get the hell outta here! Diamond City's over that way, me and my boys got this." He spoke with a thick Boston accent, something Carter used to find rather amusing, but now it's almost music to his ears. Carter took his hand and propped himself up. "Go! There are more guards by the entrance, get yourself to safety!"

Carter motioned Preston to follow him as they follow the arrow pointing towards the city. The thunderous gunfire behind them started to fade off as the men made their way to the entrance. As much as he tried to block it out, Carter could hear the pained screams of mutants as their bodies were showered in fiery lead. He tried not to think about how many Diamond City guards would make it out alive of that encounter.

 _Out here, you gotta look out for yourself_ , he thought to himself.

* * *

"Huh. Never seen Diamond City's shutters shut before," Preston remarked. Carter observed the area, and came to the realization that this was the old Fenway Park. The statue out front of a man swinging a baseball bat is unmistakable, this was the old ball park that everyone in Boston used to go to with their families, friends, even lovers. Memories rush back to him like tidal wave, he remembered taking Nora to Fenway on their last date before he headed off to Anchorage. Now, he understood why it's called the great green jewel. The green paint adorned the concrete walls keeping the city's inhabitants safe behind them.

He looked over to where the entrance was, and saw that it's been shuttered down. Nearby, he saw a young lady in a red coat mouthing off at an intercom attached to the wall.

"You can't do this to me, Danny. I'm standing out in the open here, for crying out loud!"

"I'm sorry, Piper. It's the mayor—he said that article you wrote was all slander, nothing but lies. The whole city's in a tizzy." An automated voice replied to her as this Piper visibly became more disgruntled.

"Ooh! Orders from the mayor? Is he too afraid to face the press that he had to kick me out? Look, it's the scary reporter!" she replied mockingly.

"Look, Piper, what do you want me to do? I can't afford to lose this job!"

The two continued to argue as Carter approached. The one named Piper turned around, and suddenly, she looked as though a lightbulb lit up in her head.

"Hey, you," she motioned at Carter to come closer. "You want in to Diamond City, right?"

"Uh, I just got here. But, yeah."

"Alright, play along."

Carter moved closer to where the intercom was. Piper cleared her throat and spoke in an exaggerated volume. "What's that? You're that trader over from Quincy? You hear that, Danny? You gonna keep the poor man out too and explain to Myrna why we gotta miss out on all these supplies or are you gonna let us in, eh?"

Danny let out a heavy sigh over the speakers. "Jesus, Piper, alright! You don't gotta make it personal. Give me a minute." He muttered.

Loud whirring erupted from within the gates as the shutters lifted, revealing the entrance to Fenway Park that Carter had walked through hundreds of times throughout his time growing up in Boston. Although, the ticket booths were deserted, and mascots were replaced by guards wearing the same uniforms as the ones who saved them from the mutants earlier. Nearby, a redheaded young man with the same uniform was arguing with an older man.

"Let's go in before Danny catches on to the bluff,"

"After you." Carter motioned courteously, eliciting a smirk from Piper.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." she replied as she made her way into the city.

* * *

 **Hi!**

 **Alright! It's been a slow burn but here we finally meet Piper! In my playthrough, Carter was all sarcasm and snark to Piper, but the two grew closer eventually, especially after Nick Valentine got into the picture. Let's see how these two work it out in the next few chapters! I would also like for Carter to meet MacCready as soon as possible. Him and that garbage weasel really do get along well in my playthrough. They like to steal things, likes rifles, and they both just lost their spouses. It would be a lot of fun writing out dialogues between these two!**

 **Fallout belongs to Bethesda.**


	3. Extra, Extra!

The older man stomped towards the entrance, and angrily pointed at Piper. He had on one of the cleanest clothes Carter had come across ever since he emerged to the surface. He wore a dark beige suit with a yellow tulip clipped on his breast pocket. An argyle vest topped a crisp dress shirt underneath his suit jacket, snugly covering the slight beer belly he had on him. The hat that perched on top of his head didn't seem like it was taken off a corpse, a polar opposite of what Carter had on him at the moment.

"You. I told you to stay out, you devious, rabble-rousing slanderer! I should shut down that paper of yours and have your printer scrapped for parts!"

Piper chuckled defiantly, "That a statement, McDonough? 'Tyrant Mayor Shuts Down the Press!' How's that for a headline?"

"I will not stand as you rouse panic into the heart of Diamond City! So ungrateful after everything I let you get away with! Why don't you publish something nice for once?"

"So you get to control what the paper says now? Huh, I guess free speech died along with your conscience," Piper looked over at Carter. "Why don't we ask the newcomer? You support the news? 'cause the mayor's threatening to throw free speech in the dumpster!"

Carter shrugged, "I suppose. Always believed in freedom of the press." He meant what he said. Coming from the era before the war, he'd be damned if that's another thing the wasteland took from him.

Mayor McDonough cleared his throat. "Oh, I didn't mean to drag you into this argument, Sir. You're a good man, Diamond City material!" he said in a bright tone. "Welcome to the great green jewel, where you can come to rest up, spend your money, and see the mighty wall for yourself."

"Actually, he came here for something specific." Preston chimed in. "General?"

"I'm looking for someone," Carter said. "My son, he's missing."

Piper let out a hushed gasp. "Oh, no. Hear that, McDonough? A parent coming to your city looking for his missing kid? Surely now we gotta do something."

Carter could see McDonough's expression change as he awkwardly adjusted his perfectly perched hat.

"I am sorry, I am not in liberty to go over a missing person's case. However, I'm sure Diamond City's security staff would be glad to help you, Sir."

"Come now," replied Carter in the most reassuring voice he could muster. "Surely the mayor of such a great city might know where I could start."

Insistent, McDonough shook his head. "I am very sorry, Sir, but even if I do, I wouldn't know anyone who could handle such...heavy task. I must be going now, consider this your official welcome to Diamond City." McDonough hurriedly gave Carter a firm pat on the shoulder and shuffled away to an elevator.

"Charming, isn't he?" Piper remarked. "You gotta get used to Diamond City officials not being helpful."

Carter sighed and turned his attention to Piper. Standing closer to her, he noticed small details about her appearance. She had on a newsboy hat made of old leather, with cracks adorning the surface. A flimsy paper with the word PRESS written on it was attached to the side of the hat. Freckles flare across her face, and her somewhat full cheeks made her look younger than she actually was. The arches of her eyebrows made her default expression a peculiar mix between concern and curiosity.

"How about you? Journalists must know everything about everyone in here, right?"

Piper paused and looked around; making sure none of the security staff heard her. "Drop by my office later, I think we need to have a chat."

"This better be something, lady. I'm not about to be free article material for your paper." Carter warned.

A laugh escaped Piper's lips, "Don't really have much of a choice now, do you, champ?"

"Guess not."

"Good guess. Now let's head on inside."

Piper lead the two men up the flight of stairs entering the main area of the stadium. Dogmeat followed giddily, evidently excited to meet someone new. Suddenly, Piper stopped dead in her tracks. Before taking another step, she turned around.

"What did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't." Carter retorted.

"Come on, humor me." Piper crossed her arms, her figure blocking the entrance as if refusing to go any further before her curiosity was sated.

"It's Carter. Howard."

Piper smiled, seemingly satisfied. "Alright, Carter Howard. Follow me."

* * *

"You holding up alright, Blue?" Piper asked. Carter plopped himself on one of Piper's couches, riddled with creaky springs and torn fabric, but still gave him the relief his feet desperately needed. He winced in pain as he squeezed his heel, feeling the tension leaving his body.

"Why do you call me that?"

"You're a vault dweller, ain't ya? I know you ditched your jumpsuit, but that Pip-boy's a dead giveaway."

"Maybe I took it from a corpse or something, you wouldn't know," Carter retorted, slightly bemused at the young woman's know-it-all persona. How did she stay alive in the Commonwealth with that kinda attitude?

"You could. But the fact that you seem like you haven't even heard of Diamond City is another thing you forgot to take into account. So, ready to give me that exclusive?"

"Provided you give me the answers I need if I do, then yeah."

"Right. So, which vault did you come from? Did that have anything to do with your missing kid?"

Memories start to wash over Carter. Fragments of what he remembered when he was briefly thawed out who knows how many years ago came back to him. The echo of the gun that took Nora's life, Shaun's wailing...

Then of course, there's that unknown man in the leather jacket.

"I'm from Vault 111, up on the northeast. It was a cryo facility, and they had us all frozen. Woke up 200 years later, and here we are." Carter's tone was a bit more rushed than preferred. He hoped Piper hadn't heard the urgency to finish in his voice to avoid more questions from her.

"Who do you think might be responsible for your missing kid?"

Puffing out a breath, Carter couldn't even find it in him to answer that question. Who knows? Why do bad people do bad things? Hell, for all he knew, he was part of some kind of child slavery chain that wanted an infant as a new candidate. "I really—I don't know. What do I know about this place, anyway? Nothing was ever the same as it was during my time. Even my favorite ballpark had turned into a shanty."

To Carter's surprise, Piper looked sympathetic. She set aside her notepad and paper then sat on the vacant space next to Carter. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't usually withhold information for my own gain, but I can see this is less than easy for you."

Carter replied with silence. He took a good look at the woman next to him, trying to detect any signs of insincerity in her, to no avail. Under the light, Piper's brownish eyes looked like a glass of scotch in the sun; something that reminded Carter of Nora.

Come to think of it, Piper really looked a lot like her.

Shaking off the thought, Carter cleared his throat. "If I could just do something, start somewhere, to find Shaun, it would take a hell of a lot of weight off of me," he shifted and faced Piper more directly. "Please, Piper. If you know someone who could help, I need to know."

"I was just going to, Blue," said Piper, her tone had a touch of optimism that lifted his spirits, even just a little. "If there's anyone that could find your son, this is him." She handed over a worn out business card with a little neon heart printed on it. Carter took the card and read to himself the words etched on top of it.

 _Valentine's Detective Agency_

 _Private Detective Work_

 _No Affair Too Big or Small_

 _Diamond City, Commonwealth, MA._

 _"You sure this is legit?"_

"Of course. Nicky's one of the smartest guys I know. Just go on over to his office and talk to his assistant."

Carter nodded, the business card still firmly held between his thumb and index finger. He looked over at Piper and before he said anything, she seemed to already know what he was about to ask.

"Alright Blue, let's go." She said as she pressed her cigarette down on the nearest ashtray. The room was heavy with smoky haze as they left Publick Occurrences.

* * *

Being a journalist had taught Piper one thing: truth is stranger than fiction. Not in the literal sense like when she found out the water source at Bunker Hill was actually inhabited by Atom worshippers, but more in a way that sometimes the truth is so strange, people would rather make up their own alternate scenarios and weave their own conclusion accordingly.

Today she was locked out of her own home. Tangling with Diamond City security was all in a day's work for her, but her day took an interesting turn when two strangers and a dog approached the entrance of Diamond City.

The one in the cowboy hat didn't talk much, but she was immediately taken by the other man. His flannel shirt was crumpled to smithereens, the knee of his jeans was a gaping hole, revealing the scraped skin underneath. The Pip-Boy attached to his left arm rang a bell in her head: this man is a vault dweller. His face appeared rugged, but the hope she saw in his eyes and the way he stood up straighter when speaking to women was just so appealing to her.

What would a vault dweller be doing here? She had a million questions, but the biggest one was answered not long after their initial encounter.

Carter Howard's son went missing. Piper could only think of one reason behind his disappearance. She didn't want to sound like a broken record, but what else—how else—would be responsible if not The Institute?

The ultimate boogeyman had its cold grip on the Commonwealth for decades now. Piper couldn't shake the feeling that Carter stumbling into her hometown was no coincidence, and neither was their paths crossing.

What she experienced today almost felt fictional, but what she was about to embark on was stranger than any fiction.

* * *

 **Hey hey!**

 **Each chapter just getting longer and longer! I should have said at the beginning that this would be a slow-burn, but I think I've established that Carter and Piper found each other attractive from the get-go, so I hope I got the message across. I really do feel there's a lack of physical affection in Fallout 4, and I also feel despite the awesome gameplay and intriguing story, some details could definitely be added to make the experience a lot richer. I'm gonna try and go a different direction on their Vault 114 Valentine rescue while simultaneously develop their relationship.**

 **Fallout belongs to Bethesda.**


	4. Unlikely Valentine

_**October 2077**_

Carter sipped his coffee, freshly brewed just the way he liked it; completely black. Nora kept saying that too much of that stuff would eventually kill him, but he would always retort that he's here for a good time, not a long time. After all, coffee wasn't his only vice.

What would America be if it wasn't driven by the tobacco industry?

"Some more news from South East Asia. Thailand and Indonesia had pledged their allegiance to the United States, and their leaders had approved for more American troops to be stationed. Reports read that more uprising erupt all around Canada following the annexation of..."

The sound of the doorbell dinging echoed around the living room, startling Carter. Nora looked over from the couch and she could make out the same yellow hat the salesman from yesterday had on.

"Hon, it's that salesman again. He's been looking for you," she said, walking over to Carter by the bar. "You go see him, he's been dying to talk to you."

Carter skeptically narrowed his eyes and smacked his lips. "I'm good. He'll buzz off eventually."

Nora scoffed and playfully pulled him towards the door. "Come on, it'll be quick. Do it for me, please?"

Looking at Nora's exaggeratedly pursed lips and puppy-dog eyes, Carter couldn't help but chuckle and pecked her cheeks. "Fine, for you."

The doorbell dinged once again as Carter twisted the doorknob open. The man behind the door was fiddling with his tie while his free hand held a clipboard. As he saw Carter, he courteously tipped his hat. "Good morning! Vault-Tec calling!"

"You wanted to see me?" Carter asked dismissively, all he wanted to do right now was to relax with his wife on a Saturday morning. He really didn't have time to hear an hourlong sales pitch on whatever this guy's selling.

The salesman looked slightly taken aback, he chuckled nervously. "Why, yes, sir! I promise I won't take up much of your time in this lovely morning. I am here to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime! How would you and your family like an exclusive spot at the local Vault 111?"

Carter hesitated, he looked around to find an excuse, anything to make this salesman walk away. Nora peered from behind him, as if sensing Carter's unwillingness to deal with the salesman.

"You know what hon, I'll fill it out." She said, smiling sweetly at the salesman. "Where should I sign?"

"Initials right here, Miss! There will be enough room for your whole family, minus the robot, of course." He let out a hearty chuckle as Nora flipped through the forms. "And that's everything! Congratulations for being prepared for the future!"

"Thanks again." Nora said as she shut the door.

"Well, that was quicker than I thought." Carter moved closer and put his arms around Nora's waist. "D'you think they still got Grognak comics down in the vault? 'cause I will not read another busted-ass issue of Manta-Man, not even after the world's ended."

Nora let out a laugh. "You really do have your priorities straight, sweetie."

Carter shrugged, "I have my moments." He leaned in and kissed her, he could taste the minty flavor of her lipstick linger as their lips met. He released her for a brief moment to catch his breath, and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I love you," he said.

Nora always felt her heart would burst out of her chest every time she heard those words from Carter. Out of all the girls he could've been with, he was hers. She stroked Carter's face between her fingers, feeling the rough bumps of his stubble. "I love you, too."

* * *

Nick Valentine put his hand on the cold vault walls that confined him. He was not made of skin and bones, but he could feel the frigidness of the air outside the room he was kept in. He overheard some of the thugs talk about the generator being broken down again, which explained the ever frequent flickering of lights around him. His glowing yellow eyes gave a touch of illumination he needed to see what's going on, and what Skinny Malone might plan for him.

A loud banging on the door startled him. Another one of Malone's goons was outside, peering inside Nick's makeshift holding cell and let out a chuckle. "You still there, Valentine? You won't be nothin' but a pile of nuts and bolts by the time Malone's done with you this time."

"Appreciate the heads up," he replied dismissively. "Far as I know, he ain't a fan of you, either, so I guess I'm in good company."

The thug's cackled. "The hell do you know? Ain't like you ever set foot outside this room! I ain't never—" his words were cut off as his head got blown off following a few gunshots. Nick had half a mind to stay close to the walls under the windows to keep himself from being detected, but curiosity got the best of him; and he looked out to see Piper and a man he'd never seen before approach the walkway leading to the room he was in. The sound of their footwear shuffling grew louder, and he never felt so relieved that old press cap again.

"Nicky!" Piper squealed. "We're gettin' ya outta here!"

"Gee, I do appreciate the reverse damsel in distress scenario, Piper." Nick chuckled. "I bet that meathead you whacked got the password somewhere on him."

The unknown man bent down and searched the corpse's pockets to find a keycard. "Bingo." He said, sliding the card on the reader. The vault door opened, and Nick never realized how warm the inside of his confinement was until the cold air from outside blew through. If he could have chills, this would be the time to get them.

Piper and her new friend walked in. Nick took a good look at him, at least as he tried to as the room enveloped in darkness once again with the power dwindling down. He was much taller than Piper, his hair was cut in an odd fashion, like something Old World soldiers would choose. He carried a submachine gun that he no doubt looted from one of the dead henchmen he had to get rid of in order to rescue him. He had a stern yet forlorn look in his eyes that suggested he'd been through hell and high water. He glanced at the Pip-boy on his arm, which was quite a strange sight. It was so rare, most people with Pip-boys would already had their arm chopped off by raiders by now if it meant they could have it.

"Detective Valentine, I'm Carter Howard. I need your help." said the man as he stretched out his free arm, introducing himself.

Nick found it a bit odd that there were still people who shake hands when they meet someone for the first time. Regardless, he was glad to know courtesy wasn't dead. He shook Carter's hand with his metal fingers, being careful not to squeeze his flesh too hard with his wiry appendages. "Nice to meet you, Carter. First things first, if we want to find your son, we have to get outta here alive. Follow me."

* * *

Carter's stomach sank when he had to open the door of Vault 114. The familiar sound of sirens blaring as the giant cog slid over revealing the vault walkway was all too similar to the first time he left Vault 111. Soon enough, he managed to block out all thoughts of 111 when he and Piper were busy wiping the floor with the blood of gangster henchmen that tried to stop them from entering further.

Nick Valentine was definitely not what he expected. He had seen giant roaches, deathclaws, mirelurks, and other hideous creatures the radiation had conjured up to this world, but nothing like Nick. He had yellow orbs as eyes and one of his hands were made of literal metal, bolts, and wires. The shell on the side of his neck had been broken long ago revealing the metal endoskeleton underneath. Whoever, or whatever, he was, Nick was the person who could help him find Shaun.

At least that's what Piper told him. Something about Piper felt so trustworthy and infallible. Trusting someone with such core information made Carter feel like he was about to tip over backwards to a trust fall that never seem to land. But Piper, she felt familiar; like he had seen her before in another life.

After their initial encounter, Nick didn't question him much. To Carter's relief, he agreed to take on the case almost immediately. They made their way out of the vault with guns blazing and bats swinging. When they finally reach the vault's exit zone, Nick stopped in his tracks.

"I hear some heavy footsteps behind this door. Skinny Malone's in there. Whatever happens next, be ready." He uttered the words ominously, and Carter felt like he was signing his death warrant. The vault door opened, revealing a stocky man in a snappy black suit with a machine gun in his arms, finger already lingering around the trigger, ready to end the life of anyone willing to try his temper. Next to him was a wiry-looking young lady clutching a bat, along with three henchmen backing her up with their own weapons.

"Shit," Carter muttered. "There's no way in hell we can take them all,"

"Shh, let Nick handle this, Blue." Piper whispered.

Nick stepped forward. The henchmen raised their guns, fingers poised to pull the trigger. "Stand down, assholes," Malone said. "Nicky, what are you doin'? You come into my house, shoot up my guys? You got any idea how much this is gonna set me back?"

"We wouldn't even be having this conversation if it wasn't for your two-timing dame, Skinny. Tell her to write the folks back home more often."

The girl next to Skinny Malone let out a laugh that echoed off the vault walls. "Now, why would I want to run back to daddy when I have all this? Skinny's gonna make sure I have everything I'll ever need and more. I ain't gonna go back and break my back planting shitty crops just because Nick Valentine told me to!" her tone raised as her fingers clutched her bat even tighter, itching to swing.

"This ain't the old neighborhood, Nicky. I finally got a good thing going on, and I ain't gonna let you and your posse waltz in here and blow it to hell!"

"Kill them! Kill them now!" Darla whined.

"Darla, I'm handling this! Skinny Malone's always got things under control!"

Piper scoffed, and put her pistol back in her holster. "Look at yourself, Skinny. Darla's playing you for a fool. You heard it yourself, she's only here because you said she'll be taken care of! She doesn't care about you,"

Nick turned around, shooting Piper a look. "Piper, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"She's right, Skinny." Carter chimed in. "You could do a lot better."

Nick was expecting a hail of gunfire would rain upon them immediately, but instead, Skinny Malone grew quiet and looked over at the woman next to him. Darla shook her head. "No, that's not true! You know it isn't, Skinny!" she clutched Skinny Malone's arm, only to have it shaken off by him.

"You've been the source of our downfall for long enough, toots. Your crazy rampage ruined the generators causing these fucking blackouts, and you almost made me kill Nicky here! I'm sorry, babe, but I don't see this going on any longer." Skinny Malone looked almost sad as Darla threw her bat in frustration. "Fine then! I don't need you, you fat ass!" she stomped off to the vault exit.

Skinny Malone shook his head, "They always gotta hit ya where it hurts. Now, Nicky. You got 10 seconds to get the fuck out of my sight. More than that, my guys here gonna shoot you all up till there's nothing left but paste." he pointed his submachine towards Nick as he counted down.

"Ten..."

"We should go," Nick said. Carter made a run for it right behind him with Piper on his tail. Skinny Malone's voice faded away as the group made it safely from the vault's exit zone and out to Financial District.

* * *

Back in Diamond City, Piper let Carter stay the night at Publick Occurrences. She rolled out a spare sleeping bag she kept in the closet. Nat was excited to meet Carter, as according to her, Piper had never let "a mister" stay the night before. Piper shushed her and drew the curtains of her bedroom shut, telling her to go to bed.

Carter took off his flannel shirt, revealing the dirty white undershirt he had on underneath. Out of the corner of her eye, Piper saw his big, strong-looking arms with veins that adorned it stretching all the way from the back of his hand to his forearms. Her heart beat faster as Carter stretched his arms up, letting her catch a glimpse of his tummy and the happy trail atop it. She tried busying herself with setting up Carter's bedding on the floor next to her bed, hoping he hadn't noticed her looking at him.

"Hey, thanks again for letting me stay over." he said as he sat on the edge of Piper's bed.

"It's no problem, Blue. I know you haven't got a single cap on you and I doubt the folks over at Dugout would let you stay otherwise." she replied.

Carter felt a smile tugging on the corner of his lip. "So is it true? Nat said you never had a "mister" stay over here before."

Piper's stomach sank. On one hand, it was true, but would it be weird to let Blue know that she, in fact, had never been in a serious relationship? She felt her cheeks burn and forming words became a struggle.

"Oh, I-um, no, I-I guess it's true, but not like that, I've had misters-you know what, is it warm in here? I'll go and adjust the temp, why don't you just go on and hit the hay?" Piper rambled, avoiding Carter's gaze as he tried to held in his mirth. She walked over to the corner of the room by the ladder, busying herself with the thermostat.

"Man, and here I thought I was special." Carter said teasingly. He had to admit to himself, this was the first time he was genuinely amused at something after he left 111. No horrid flashbacks, no soul-crushing guilt over Nora, no nothing. He felt his first simple pleasure, and Piper made that possible.

"Gonna be like that, huh? Maybe I _should_ let you take a long walk to Sanctuary..." Piper turned around and hit back, her lips pursed as she tapped her finger lightly on her cheek, feigning consideration.

"Alright, alright, I'll be good!"He pulled the thin, rough blanket she provided. "You did a good job with Skinny today, by the way. Took a lot of guts to stand up to him like that." Carter said, meaning every word.

"Eh. After my share of dealing with McDonough? Skinny wasn't a far leap." she shrugged, although admittedly, she was quite flattered.

"Seriously. If it wasn't for you, we won't even be alive, probably. So, thanks, Piper." Carter said. "I guess I was right in choosing you as a travel partner."

Piper moved to her bed and propped herself up by her elbow. "So, saving your life and providing you a free motel for the night? You're running quite the tab here, Blue."

"How about I pay you off with my charming presence?"

The two let out a laugh and bantered for a while, until Piper stopped responding to his quips. Carter peered his head up and see Piper's drifted off to sleep, her thick lashes twitched and her chest rose up and down as she breathed. Carter drifted off to a deep dreamless sleep soon after. The next morning, his eyes fluttered open, and he felt relief wash over him as he realized for the first time, he didn't wake up in cold sweat, or immediately craving for a strong drink to dull his senses. He was _present_.

* * *

 **Hello!**

 **Wow, no reviews yet as of this chapter, huh? We must press on!**

 **I would like to focus more on Carter and Piper's blooming relationship, but I'd also like not to make it look rushed in any way because that's what slow burns are, right? Anyways, if you think I'm moving too slow with Piper and Sole's relationship, the next chapter's gonna be better!**

 **Fallout belongs to Bethesda.**


	5. Getting A Clue

_And now, uh...a word from our sponsors. Come on down to Choice Chops! We got meat, just meat! Stop asking if we got anything else. So, uh...yeah. Here's the song, Maybe, by the Ink Spots. I mean, it's definitely by the Ink Spots, just the, uh... the song is called Maybe. So..., song, bail me out!_

Diamond City Radio's DJ stumbling his words could be heard from the small speaker on top of Piper's desk. As soon as he was awake enough to stand, Carter got dressed and made his way back to Valentine's Detective Agency. He didn't even let Piper finish her bowl of Sugar Bombs before grabbing the press hat hanging on the coat rack and putting it on her.

When they arrived at the agency, Nick was already there with a cigarette between his metal fingers. A curious sight, since Carter couldn't think of anything a cigarette could do to Nick's artificial chassis. Maybe he's taking this whole noir detective aesthetic thing a tad too seriously.

"Ah, there you are." Nick beamed, his voice as heavy as the smoke that lingers around his office. "Now, not that I don't appreciate you saving an old private eye from the cold confines of that vault, but you never did say how you managed to find me."

"We spoke to Ellie briefly before we rushed over to 114. I gave Carter your business card. I'm tellin' ya, Nicky, you're gonna want to take his case." Piper chimed in.

"Ellie, huh? I should give that woman a raise for all she's done."

"Where is she, by the way?" Piper asked. Carter looked around and realized Ellie wasn't where she usually stood. The first time Carter went to the agency, Ellie was sorting through a box of old ties and muttering to herself. The radio was on with an unusually high sound volume, presumably to drown out her thoughts. She was very obviously distraught as she told Carter where Nick might've gone, and asked him to bring the synth detective back safe.

"She's still asleep upstairs. Let her rest, she must be exhausted after worry-warting over me in the past few days. In the meantime, let's you and I have a chat, Carter." Nick motioned for Carter to sit on the chair opposite of him. "So, what's so special about your story that made you risk your neck for an old synth?"

Carter took a deep breath and cleared his throat. Steady, you'll get through this.

"It's about my son, Shaun. He's been kidnapped."

"That so? When did this happen?"

"I was on cryo-sleep for the past 200 years in Vault 111. At some point, someone—something, overrode the cryostasis and opened my wife's pod, taking him away and shot her in the head." Carter said through gritted teeth as he replayed that harrowing moment once more. "Then...then I was frozen again for god knows how long, until the vault facilities malfunctioned and let me out."

Nick puffed out smoke from his plastic lips and his glowing yellow eyes go wide. "My god." Those words were all he could muster.

"It's alright, Blue." Piper said, putting her hand on Carter's shoulder.

"Did you see what they look like? The people who took your son away?"

"One of them came right up to me and called me "the backup". He was bald and had this huge scar across his eye, wore a leather jacket with a weird metal shoulder pad thing. I'll never forget his face." Carter hissed. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and his voice started to tremble. He took another deep breath and tried taking comfort in thinking that by seeking help to find Shaun, he'll avenge Nora in the process.

"Hold up. I think I might know who you're talking about. Did you hear the name—" Nick's words were cut off as rapid steps descending from the upper floor startled the group. Ellie was awake and her face was still heavy with exhaustion, but the excitement and relief in her eyes washed over every bit of drowsiness left in her as she saw the synth detective sitting in his office.

"It's you! Thank god you're back, Nick!" she exclaimed. Nick chuckled and stood from his seat, giving the woman a hug. "Ow. Your hugs are still as painful as ever, Nick." She winced as Nick's hard metal body embraced hers.

"Charming as always, Ellie." Nick replied.

"Thank you so much for bringing him back." She mused at Carter and took out a small bag from one of the file cabinets. "It's not much, but you deserve it. You saved my job, after all."

Carter received the bag from Ellie and found that it was filled to the rim with bottle caps. "Wow. Much obliged, ma'am."

Ellie cleared her throat and grabbed her clipboard as Nick sat back down across from Carter. They went right back in business. "As I was saying, I think the man who came up to you in the vault was Kellogg. That right, Ellie? Bald head, scar across his left eye, known for doing dangerous mercenary work?"

Ellie thumbed over some papers attached to her board and nodded. "Description matches. Not just any merc would do a job as daunting as this one."

"Exactly. But why your family in particular? I think we need to go on a little field trip." Nick got up from his seat and grabbed his hat from the coat rack. "We're gonna go check out Kellogg's old house, way back in the west stands. Place's abandoned, but we'll improvise."

"Security doesn't go to that part of town." Ellie's tone was cautious, but Carter could sense that she was hinting at something. "So if you're gonna break and enter, it should be as good a place as any." Gotcha, Carter thought.

"I see what you're getting at," Carter said. He never deemed himself as too high and mighty to dabble in a little subterfuge every now and then, even back before the war.

"Blue, are we really gonna break into someone's house?" Piper asked, her brows furrowed together.

"If this Kellogg guy really was the one who killed my wife, I think getting his house broken and entered is hell of a lot better than what I would do if I ever get my hands on him." Carter stood up and opened the door leading to the dark hallway outside the agency. The dry air from Diamond City's morning fog blew in, replacing the stale smoky air with frigid wind that pierced the bone. "Nick, you coming?"

"Right behind you." The sound of Nick's metal foot hitting the wooden floor followed suit as Carter stepped outside.

* * *

Kellogg's house stood on a high platform overlooking the Diamond City market. Carter would've thought it was a nice enough place to live, if the thought of an old mercenary who offed his wife without blinking an eye hadn't tainted the house to its very core. Nick, Piper, and Carter made their way to the top. Noises from the market falter out as they reached the house's front door.

Nick looked around, and sure enough, the guards who usually patrolled around Diamond City never came near the west stands. "Let's see if I could make this lock sing." Nick bent down and took out his series of lockpicks. The doorknob rattled as the lockpicks entered the keyhole, poking and prodding at its microscopic mechanisms. Carter waited anxiously by his side, his hands clutching his own arms around. The cold wind felt more vicious at this height, and the synth detective was obviously immune to the cold. At these times, Carter wished he wasn't made of flesh.

"Damn, this is some lock." Nick stood back up and faced Carter. "Think you could ask the mayor's secretary for a key?"

"She's just gonna give it to me?" Carter asked, he thought of the likelihood of McDonough's secretary just giving in would be very slim to none, especially after Piper's article debacle.

"Who knows. Use nice enough words, smile charming smiles, she'd open up to you like a cocoon."

"Should I come with you?" Piper asked.

"I don't know if McDonough's enemy number one showing up by my side would help in this case, sugar." Carter replied sarcastically. Piper waved her hand dismissively, "Aw, come on. Geneva loves me, she'll bite. Now come on!"

Before Carter could argue, Piper already made her way down to the market and on to the elevator that led to the mayor's office. As soon as they made it to the front desk, a young blonde woman in her mid 30s greeted Carter, yet she ignored Piper as she was a figment of one's imagination.

"Welcome, sir. How may I help you today?" she politely asked, smiling broadly.

Piper waved her hand. "Hello? You don't even notice your girl Piper? I thought we were friends, Geneva."

Geneva sighed heavily and turned her attention to Piper. "Of course. It's very hard not to notice you, Miss Piper, what with the yelling and all."

Piper chuckled condescendingly in response. "Why don't you tell ol' McDonough to come out here, huh?"

"The mayor's very busy."

"I'm sure he is. What if I tell him we're with the Institute? Surely he'd come running out—"

"Pipes, I got this." Carter interrupted. "Just, stay." He motioned for her to stay put in the corner where they got off the elevator. Piper crossed her arms like an upset toddler and complied.

"Miss, I was hoping that I could have access to the keys to that house over at the west stands."

"Mr. Kellogg's house? Place's been abandoned for a few months now."

"I wouldn't ask if it weren't important. Please?" Carter put on his best puppy-dog eyes that used to work wonders on Nora. Yes, even after that time he accidentally deleted her research paper before graduating law school.

Geneva sighed, and for a second Carter thought his old charms still worked after all these centuries. But then, Geneva shook her head gently, her short blonde hair bobbed slightly as her head moved. "I'm sorry. I'm not authorized to give out keys."

"You keep them, though, right?" Piper chimed in from the corner.

"Yes, Piper, but I can only give them away if McDonough says so."

"Ah, of course. Then again, that's probably the gist of your job, right? You know, I always wondered how come McDonough always picked blondes as his assistants. Although, I might have an idea why..."

Geneva put her hands on her hips defensively. "What are you getting at, Piper?"

Piper walked over from her corner, and as she passed by Carter, he could feel her fingers swiping his palm, as if motioning him to watch her very closely. Carter kept his eyes on Piper's hands, and saw her finger tapping Geneva's front desk three times.

He knew what it meant. Piper kept her argument going with Geneva to purposefully keep her in turning her back on Carter. Carter slinked away from the two arguing ladies and crouched by Geneva's desk. He slowly opened one of the drawers and saw a series of keys kept in little cases. His mind raced, how could he decide which key was which? Fortunately, he noticed tiny handwritten labels on each case with the house owner's name on it. As soon as he found Kellogg's house keys, he stood up and put the key away on his back pocket.

Carter walked over to Geneva and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't listen to her, sweetheart. She just likes riling people up." He said, his voice low and seductive.

Geneva stuttered as she turned to Carter, his dark brown eyes peering into hers. "I—ahem. This was not appropriate, Miss Wright. I shall tell the mayor that you are to be banned from entering the mayor's office."

"Sure, 'cause McDonough's got a soft spot for airheaded blondes." Piper spat back.

Carter grabbed Piper's arm as he pressed the call button on the elevator. The elevator whirred back to life. "Don't listen to this rabble-rouser. She ought to be kept in a cage, am I right?" Carter chuckled.

"Hey!" Piper complained.

"Have a good day, you." Said Geneva, her cheeks slightly blushed as Carter winked at her. The two left the mayor's front desk hurriedly and made their way back over to the west stands.

* * *

Carter was slightly surprised when he saw how small the inside of Kellogg's house was. His small living room was sparsely decorated, a rusty desk sat at the corner of the room complete with a set of chairs with its cushions already tearing at the seams. A wooden ladder led to the tiny upstairs bedroom and its adjacent bathroom. The air smelled like rotting paper intermingling with dust that won't escape the walls.

"Sure is cramped in here," Piper huffed out a breath. "Someone ought to crack a window open."

"It's at times like these I'm glad for the air filter planted between my ears." Nick mused as he curiously looked around, his metal fingers leaving no stone unturned.

Carter made his way upstairs, an old bed frame and the mattress on top of it looked big enough for an adult man to sleep in. Next to it was a sleeping bag laid out haphazardly. Carter felt rage bubbling up in his stomach at the thought of Shaun having to sleep on the floor while that bastard slept on the bed. But then he caught a glimpse of a blue blanket underneath the mattress, its rocketship decals peering out from underneath, indicating that Kellogg might have let Shaun sleep on the bed instead of him.

Carter was relieved, but his desire to strangle the life out of Kellogg still wouldn't falter.

Downstairs, Piper and Nick already scoured the living room and found nothing out of the ordinary. "Find anything?" Carter asked.

Nick shrugged. "Nothing yet. Why don't you check that desk over there, see what you could find."

Carter obliged and knelt next to the desk. Underneath one of the drawers, a red button was concealed. "What's this button do?" he muttered quietly to himself.

Piper leaned against the wall and looked at her surroundings. "This place is suspiciously clean for a mercenary. Not even a gun in sight. Or a pipe pistol, even. That's kind of—" her words were cut off as the wall she was leaning on suddenly slid over, revealing another room behind it. Piper fell backwards and landed on her behind.

Carter's head reared from behind the desk. The button he pushed revealed a secret hideout hidden within the house's walls. Fluorescent light beamed on the ceiling of the now exposed room. A shelf full of supplies stood there, along with a sleek-looking chair and a large, dirty ashtray with cigar boxes stacked next to it. Of course, there were the crates of who-knows-what with pieces of ordinance on top of it.

"Looks like you spoke too soon, Piper." Carter said, offering his hand to pull her back on her feet.

"Well, well. Look at that. All of the creature comforts a merc could ask for." Nick walked into the room, examining the box of cigars lying on one of the shelves. Carter picked up one of the cigars on the ashtray and handed it to Nick. "I bet Dogmeat could track this bastard's scent from this thing."

Nick nodded. "Clever idea. Let's just hope he hasn't gone too far." He handed Carter a little plastic baggie from his coat pocket. "Go on a fetch him, then. I know you already got some company here, but if you want me to come along, just say the word."

Carter looked over at Piper, still rubbing her behind after the little mishap with the wall. He felt a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I think Piper and I will stick together."

"Good plan. I'll stay out here and look out for any news. Though I should warn you, traveling with Piper's not for the faint of heart."

Piper giggled at the old synth's statement. "Aw, Nicky. You know what a girl likes to hear."

* * *

Making his way back to Sanctuary with Piper was a whole different experience for Carter. When he went to Diamond City with Preston, his thoughts were all over the place, his brain felt completely scrambled after the dream about Nora. It still creeped him out to no end, but now that he had a lead, he felt some weight had been lifted off him.

The Diamond City radio DJ was stuttering as he haphazardly delivered some word from his sponsors. A song by Louis Jordan quietly played from Carter's Pip-boy as he and Piper arrived in Cambridge. Carter looked around and saw the old CIT building dilapidated.

"Man, back in the day this was where all the intellectuals of Boston would go." He motioned to the CIT's white dome, now adorned with gigantic cracks that threatened to shatter every ounce of brick and mortar held together underneath. "God knows what the inside would look like now."

Piper popped another gumdrop into her mouth. "Doesn't take a genius to figure it won't be the educational hotbed it used to be." She bit into a gumdrop and felt the artificial peach flavor splattered on her tongue like a sticky firecracker. "Place's probably infested with mutants or ghouls."

Carter furrowed his brows. "What're mutants? Ghouls?"

"Oh, you're lucky you haven't met those things yet. Not many people can say that."

Suddenly, the sound of distant gunshots and laser beams piercing the night sky startled them. Echoes of guttural groaning and rapid footsteps could also be heard from where they were standing. Upon closer inspection, Carter could see that it was coming from the old Cambridge police precinct. The area was surprisingly well-lit, and he could barely make out the silhouette of a few people inside the barricaded area of the precinct's front courtyard.

"Those." Piper pointed. "Those are ghouls."

Carter tiptoed his way to the big pickup truck parked just in front of the courtyard to get a better view. He winced at the sight of the ghoul creatures. Their skulls had lost their shape and their necks would often loll uselessly from side to side as their mouths hung wide open, emitting an inhuman guttural noise. Some of their bones grotesquely stick out from underneath their skin, and they walk as though a gust of wind would make them lose their balance. Some of their feet stuck out to two different directions. Despite their horrific appearance, they run—or even crawl—remarkably fast as they charge towards a man wielding a laser rifle, fighting for his life as the horde of ghouls surrounded him. Behind him, Carter could see another man clutching his stomach as he sat and leaned back on the police precinct's entrance.

Instinctively, Carter took out his gun and jumped over the pickup truck as he picked off the ghouls one by one.

"Blue! What are you doing?!" Piper fruitlessly tried to grab Carter's arm to keep him hidden. When his bullets hit the back of their heads, it exploded revealing the red, goopy insides of their skulls. The ghouls avert their attention to Carter and Piper, they shuffled away from the precinct's courtyard and towards the blue pickup truck.

"Ad victoriam!" the laser rifle-wielding man shouted as he continued to rain hellfire on the ghouls. Before they know it, the pavement was littered with ghoul blood and gore. Some of the ghouls twitched upon death, their yellow glowing eyes stared at nothingness as life slipped from them.

Carter approached the precinct's entrance, the unknown man seem to be anticipating him and put his laser rifle away. "I appreciate your assistance, civilian. What's your business here?"

"I was passing through when I heard you were getting your ass kicked by ghouls." Carter replied. Piper rolled her eyes, sometimes her traveling companion told levity during the worst times possible.

"We were quite capable, but unfortunately, some members of our team have fallen. I'm Paladin Danse, Brotherhood of Steel. That there is Knight Rhys and Scribe Haylen." He motioned over to the wounded man and the redheaded woman next to him, frantically binding his wounds.

"Brotherhood of Steel? Oh, boy." Piper muttered. "What are you guys doing in the Commonwealth?"

"We're Recon Squad Gladius, and we were sent here to scout out the Commonwealth until reinforcements arrive. It hasn't been easy, we lost 5 knights already as of tonight. I won't lose another soldier, and my team thanks you for that. So tell me, where are you heading off to?"

"I was just going back to Sanctuary from Diamond City. Got some business to take care of." Carter replied. "You guys mind if we spend the night here?"

"It's the least we could do." The woman named Haylen replied. "Sir?"

"Alright, you two can stay. But we are armed here, so don't think of trying anything." Danse said sternly. He and Haylen propped Rhys up and carried him inside the precinct.

Carter had so many questions running through his head. "So...who are the Brotherhood of Steel?"

Piper let out a small laugh. "You and I need to have a long chat, Blue." She turned to face Carter. "Maybe next time you're gonna lurch yourself to the face of danger, give a girl a heads up first?"

Carter shrugged. "What can I say? I have a soft spot for rescuing hapless villagers."

"Except these people aren't villagers. They're Brotherhood."

"Which brings me to my first question. Who exactly are they?"

Piper yawned and walked over to the precinct's entrance. "You know what, if we can sleep through the night without feral ghouls chewing us to bits, I'll tell you about them tomorrow and more."

Carter grabbed Piper by the arm, stopping her in her tracks. Her eyes looked up to face Carter's, and he could still see the flecks of hazel within her green eyes even in the dark. "You promise?"

For some reason, this made Piper felt a bit flustered. "Promise." She quickly said. The two made their way to the precinct and felt their eyelids grew heavy as they lay their heads on the mattresses scattered on the main hall.

* * *

 **Hey hey!  
** **Wow, long chapter is long am I right? So happy that now Carter finally gets to meet Danse! I'll try to incorporate more companions in further chapters. Thanks so much to all of you who have reviewed! Your feedbacks keep me alive!**

 **Fallout belongs to Bethesda.**


	6. Old World Blues

_Some folks can lose the blues in their heart_

 _But when I think of you another shower starts_

 _Into each life some rain must fall_

 _But too much is fallin' in mine_

* * *

Rays of early morning sun burst through the precinct's murky windows. Carter's eyes flutter open and he saw Danse standing by the door, his back straight as he stood with military precision, his laser rifle nestled in his arms. Piper sipped some coffee inside the old interrogation room as she chatted away with Haylen, and the wounded Rhys now had the strength to stand on his own. Rhys towered over the sleeping bag Carter was lying on, his nose scrunched up making the intimidating soldier look even grumpier.

"Up and at 'em, wastelander. Paladin Danse's been waiting to talk to you." The way Rhys spoke to Carter reminded him of how preschool teachers scold children, with a slight tone of righteousness in his voice. Carter rubbed the sleep from his eyes and propped himself up to his feet.

"Rhys, right? You holding up okay?"

"What's it to you? Now quit dawdling around and go see the Paladin."

Carter scoffed. "I take it you're the life of the party around here? Why don't you take a seat, give your leg some rest?"

"There are no parties around here, wastelander. It's only kill or be killed." Rhys rolled his eyes. "Why am I even talking to you? You have your orders, now tend to them." he turned his back and walked away from Carter, his steps were still a bit wobbly after last night's ghoul encounter.

Carter shook off Rhys' cold words and walked over to where Danse was standing.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Affirmative. I've been meaning to talk to you since last night." Danse holstered his rifle to his back and cracked his knuckles. Carter found the way Danse spoke a bit curious, he spoke with the same rigidness as his old military officer before the war.

"Well, here I am."

"I haven't had the chance to properly thank you for lending us a hand last night. Rhys was in a pretty grim shape, and if you hadn't interfered, who knew what would've befallen him. He might die, or worse."

Carter looked over at Rhys, `he was still pacing around the old evidence locker, refusing to sit down. "He sure is a good ol' ray of sunshine."

"He's a trooper, he'll pull through." Danse said. "Now, answer me this. What were you doing in Diamond City? And why are you risking life and limb to go all the way back to a northeastern settlement, at night, with minimum ordinance?"

Carter thought briefly on how he should go about this. His story sounded bizarre even to him. _Oh, you know, I was frozen TV dinner for 200 years and sometime in the middle I saw my wife get shot in the head and my kid taken away. Crazy, amirite?_ "I, uh, I was going to pick up my dog from Sanctuary. I needed him to track something for me."

Danse raised one of his bushy eyebrows in disbelief. "A dog?"

"Yeah. Cutting through Lexington to Cambridge was the quickest way to get there, and I stumbled upon the precinct. And here we are." Carter shrugged, hoping his irreverence would keep Danse from asking more questions about him.

"There's got to be more to that. What were you looking to track down?"

Carter sighed, he figured it's no use trying keep it hidden anymore. Not like Danse or his Brotherhood would lend a hand anyways. He reached down to his pocket and took out the old cigar in the plastic baggie Nick gave him. "My son's been kidnapped, and I think this would lead me to the culprit."

Danse's eyes go wide at this revelation, and Carter saw his shoulders drop down, leaving the paladin looking much less stoic than he usually was. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you and your wife find what you're looking for."

"Wife?" Carter was puzzled, he never mentioned anything about a wife.

"That young woman with the hat? Is she not your wife?"

Carter realized he was talking about Piper. "What, Piper? No, no. She's just a companion, of sorts. We just met, actually."

"Regardless, it's none of my business. Apologies if I sound prying. It's difficult to let our guard down after everything that's happened."

"Alright," Carter put his baggie back in his pocket. "Now, about this Brotherhood of yours. What's it about?"

"We hail from the Citadel in the Capital Wasteland and Elder Maxson wanted to set up a new chapter here in the Commonwealth. We're a strong military presence with technological superiority that stem all the way back to the remnants of United States Army before the Great War." Danse pointed at the sigil painted on his uniform's left shoulder sleeve.

"See this, this is our battle cry. Ad victoriam means 'to victory', and one of our primary mission is to harbor and utilize technology from those who would abuse it, and at the same time, maintain order in this godforsaken wasteland. In our eyes, defeat is unacceptable because we're fighting and protecting the future of mankind. Our rallying cry is more powerful than any weapon you could carry, you should keep that in mind."

Carter briefly studied the sigil, a flaming sword over a series of gears. He realized the same sigil was scattered around the precinct as well.

"Oh, so that's why you guys talk like that. I was in the army before the war, too, and—" Carter's words were cut off as he realized what he gave away. Danse's expression was nothing less of pure confusion.

"What? What were you gonna say?"

Carter sighed heavily. "I was in the army before the war." He muttered.

"Before what war? What are you—?"

"I was cryogenically frozen for 200 years in Vault 111. I only got out very recently."

Danse looked at the person in front of him in disbelief. They were both at the same height, and they were built similarly too, he figured it wouldn't be such a surprise if he was actually telling the truth. And the way he lurched himself at those feral ghouls last night? No wonder he knew his way around a gun.

"My god. So it is true what they say about those vaults. Damn Vault-Tec bastards, experimenting on people like lab rats while they pocket the cash." Danse hissed. "Thank you for your honesty. I know it must have been difficult."

"Yeah, imagine waking up after 200 years seeing the world you know ravaged to hell and back." Carter rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the phantom weight of his worries dawning back upon him.

Danse paused, and the two men stood in silence for a brief moment. "You know, since you had some military experience, you'd make a far better candidate for a Brotherhood initiate compared to any wastelander we'll ever pick up. And after what you did last night for us, you've proven your selflessness and willingness to help others, which are admirable traits for a soldier to have." Danse stretched out his hand, his palms open like offering Carter a lifeline to keep him from going under. "What do you say? How would you like to join our ranks?"

Carter thought about it, and he was reminded of his status as the general of the Minutemen. He realized that being a part of the Brotherhood might give him the purpose he needed to press on, and they seem a lot more legitimate compared to the Minutemen. Brotherhood had all the tech and manpower the Minutemen lacked. He felt a pang of guilt gnawing on him as he realized this might mean leaving those settlers in need to fend for themselves.

But right now, purpose was all he wanted.

"I'll be glad to join." Carter replied, meaning every word. He was reminded of his days back in the military, back when he had Nora at his side, back when the world wasn't a radioactive hellscape. He shook Danse's hand firmly, and that was all he needed.

Danse nodded, satisfied. "Outstanding. Although, I can't promote you officially as a Knight yet, only Elder Maxson has the final say on that. Until then, I'll let you get back to tend to your business. I'll let you resupply with some stuff from the evidence locker. You can barter some medical equipment from Haylen, too."

"Thanks, Paladin." Carter said. He walked off to the supply closet where he helped himself to an old laser pistol and a few accompanying fusion cells. When he made his way to the interrogation room, Haylen was still there with Piper, sitting across from each other cross-legged, occasionally giggling to one another.

"Can I interrupt the social hour, ladies?" Carter asked politely before stepping into the room. Haylen turned around; she was a svelte woman in her late-20s with strands of bright red hair peeking underneath her scribe hat. Even her thick Brotherhood fatigues with a turtleneck that nearly drowned her slight figure didn't do much to make her look fuller. Despite that, Carter had seen what she could do on the battlefield. He remembered seeing her take down a good handful of those ghouls by her lonesome.

" Oh! Carter, right? Miss Wright's told me all about you." Haylen chirped, getting up from her seat. She was definitely a pleasant change of tone after speaking to Rhys and Danse, who seemed almost as robotic as Protectrons in comparison to her.

"That's me," Carter smiled. "I was told you could sell me some supplies for the road?"

"Oh, sure! I got a bundle of Stimpaks and blood packs for you right here, 25 caps each."

"Perfect, I'll take them all." Carter took out some bottle caps from the pay Ellie gave him after rescuing Nick. After they pack their stuff, Carter was ready to set out on the road again.

As he was about to leave, Danse put his hand up on his chest, like he was about to recite the pledge of allegiance. "Be safe out there, soldier. Ad victoriam."

* * *

"So, those Brotherhood guys aren't that bad, right?" Carter asked as he and Piper were back on the road. After spending the night at Cambridge, they were already halfway to Sanctuary, so the trip wouldn't be as long, or as dangerous, during the day.

"Yeah, if you like crew cuts and zealots, that is." Piper scoffed.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm just saying, they don't take too kindly to anything that isn't... _fully_ human."

"You've seen what those ghouls could do. I'd say protecting mankind would be a good enough idea for me." Carter shrugged, he took another gumdrop from Piper's satchel and popped it into his mouth. "And besides, they got an army, and all these old world tech. I'm just saying it sounds like a worthy cause, you know?"

Piper sighed and looked at her traveling partner. "You have a lot to learn, Blue."

Carter chuckled and was reminded of the conversation he had with Danse earlier. "You know, Danse thought you were my wife."

Piper nearly choked on her gumdrop at the thought. "What? How?"

"I told him my story just now, when you were chatting with Haylen, and he thought you and I were avenging parents hell bent on finding their missing kid. Crazy, right?"

Piper chuckled weakly. "Yeah, crazy."

"Although I'd be lying if I say you don't remind me of Nora." Carter mused, his chest tightening at the mention of her name.

As their feet scrape the pavement, Piper could feel her cheeks flush. She assumed Nora was Carter's wife, from way back before the war. Ugh, get a grip, Piper. You two had only known each other for a week! "Who knows, Blue, I might be her reincarnation, if you believe in that kinda stuff." Piper tried to keep her tone as casual as possible.

Carter let out a small laugh and turned his attention to the journalist. "I'd be really lucky if you are."

* * *

Upon arriving in Sanctuary, they were greeted by Sturges and Preston standing guard by the bridge. They crafted a makeshift wooden guard tower that gave them a decent vantage point and adequate view of everything beyond the settlement. Carter was relieved to notice the bridge leading to Sanctuary had been patched up, too, so he wouldn't have to fear falling into the irradiated river underneath. Next to him, Piper looked around in awe at the neighborhood. It warmed her heart knowing that there were people here rebuilding things out of the ashes. It gave her a sense of hope and union seeing people working hand-in-hand like this.

"Wow. So this was where you came from?" Piper asked, her eyes go wide like a child in a candy store.

"Yeah. Place has looked better, though. I used to like living here before the war."

"Oh, so you're literally from here, like way back when?"

Carter nodded. "That's my old house over there. You see that Mr. Handy pulling weeds? That's Codsworth, he was our family's butler."

"Oh, I gotta see this." Piper chuckled and walked faster towards Carter's old house.

"Glad to see you again, General." Preston greeted from the guard tower. He was still wearing his pinned militia hat, but his colonial duster had been replaced with a simple green shirt and brown slacks. "Hey, Preston." Carter replied. He was pleased to see everybody was putting in work to make Sanctuary a real home again. Even the grumpy Marcy Long was getting her hands dirty on the ground as she tended to the food planters. Her husband, Jun, kept his grieving mind busy by painting the walls. Mama Murphy contributed in the only way her old bones would let her; by sweeping the dried-out leaves and burning them on a pile.

"You guys holding up alright?"

"Hasn't been easy, but we're doing our best to make this place home." Preston stepped down from his guard tower, it creaked and groaned at the touch of Preston's boots. "Did you find anything in Diamond City? We were kinda worried, you didn't return home for a few days."

"Has been a wild couple of days. I met some Brotherhood people on the way back home, did you know about them?"

"Oh, damn. You saw the Brotherhood? What were they doing here?" Preston sounded startled.

"Out for a recon mission, apparently. They're looking to set up a new chapter in the East Coast."

Carter saw the look of concern on Preston's face. It really made him wonder, what is it about the Brotherhood that made people so uneasy? "I was actually initiated into their ranks awhile back." Carter chose his words carefully, as he also felt the burden of being the General and it didn't feel right to just abandon them with impunity.

"But what about the Minutemen?" Preston asked with a slight tone of urgency in his voice. Carter felt like he betrayed a friend, yet he still didn't fully understand why people were so doubtful about the Brotherhood.

"Look, man." Carter sat down on one of the guard tower's steps. "I'm flattered, really, but I'm just not the guy you should choose as General."

"Carter, believe me when I say you are the best hope for the Minutemen. If it wasn't for you, none of us would be breathing right now."

"I saved you because it was the right thing to do. I might be a jackass, but I wasn't gonna just leave you there."

"Which is exactly why you should be General. You've shown that you put others before yourself, and you said it just now—you saved us because it was right, not because you thought there would be some reward on the line." Preston sighed heavily. "After what happened in Quincy, this was our best chance to start over, to return the Minutemen to what they used to be about; protecting people and putting the Commonwealth's best interest above all else."

There it was again. _Putting others before yourself._ Was it such a rare occasion that people would want to save other people in need? He did that to Preston and his friends at the museum, and he did it again at Cambridge. To him, it all just boiled down to common courtesy.

Carter looked up. "Wait, what happened in Quincy? You never did tell me about that."

Preston stuttered slightly as he searched for the right words. What happened down south still disturbed him and shook his faith to the core. Granted, it was still pretty fresh, but now that the General would potentially be carted off to the Brotherhood's ranks instead of staying with the Minutemen, all his fears and worries and guilt came rushing back at him.

"Bunch of Gunner bastards overrun the place, and some key Minutemen leaders turned on us." He rushed his words, each letter stung at him like razor. "After that, I lost faith in us. I thought there wasn't any shred of good, or even decency left in this world. But after what you did for us at the museum, I was glad to be proven wrong for once."

Carter sat in silence, letting each word that came out of Preston seep into him. "I'm sorry about what happened. Must have taken some guts to save your friends and bring them all the way up here." He let out a deep sigh and propped himself back up on his feet. "I was actually thinking that maybe, I could still help out the Minutemen while also being in the Brotherhood. You know, there has to be a middle ground."

Preston shook his head. "The Brotherhood aren't the kind of people you'd want to cross over, General." He picked up his laser musket leaning on the guard tower and propped it on his arms. "Please, just think about it?"

"I don't think I'll pass up the opportunity to join the Brotherhood ranks, Preston." Carter said. "I'm sorry. But think about it like this; the Brotherhood has all the manpower, weaponry, and tech that could protect the Commonwealth and its people in the years to come. Wouldn't that make it easier for the Minutemen to further their goals?"

"I guess you have a point. That's a shame, though." Preston took off his militia hat. " But I should let you know; you'll always be General to us."

"And I'll do anything I can to help you out." Carter grinned, meaning every word. He knew that he might not be fully absolved from the guilt, but he made his intentions clear, and that lifted some weight off his shoulders.

* * *

Codsworth tended to the geraniums planted on Carter's front yard and merrily whistled a tune. His mood had greatly improved since his owner came back from the vault a few weeks ago, and it motivated him to do his chores even more meticulously. Codsworth turned around to see Piper curiously peering inside his master's home.

"Welcome to our happy home, miss!" Codsworth greeted her. "Would you like a drink? Some lemonade, perhaps?"

"Oh, man. A Mr. Handy that doesn't shoot on sight? I could get used to this." Piper mused. "I'm Piper Wright."

"Charmed, Miss Wright. You are with Mister Carter, I take it? Where is sir, by the by?"

Carter jogged his way from the bridge back to the house. Piper was conversing with Codsworth, and Carter found the sight quite heartwarming.

"What's new, Codsworth?" Carter asked as Codsworth served a cup of coffee to Piper. She was sitting on the old red couch by the door, Diamond City radio played gently from a nearby salvaged radio. The song was soon interrupted by another stuttered sponsored message from the DJ.

"Welcome home, Sir! I've laundered your clothes for you, and put new sheets on the bed! You'll be pleased to know there are zero radroaches found on the premises as of today."

Piper chuckled. "Life must have been nice for you pre-war folks, huh?"

Carter sat down next to Piper and propped his feet up on the coffee table, something that used to irritate Nora. "Was all sunshine and rainbows until people dropped nukes on each other."

Piper sighed, she felt a little guilty every time Carter spoke about his previous life. She could tell that his memories of the old world burdened him, and yet she got the impression that he didn't want to let go of those memories. She put her hand on his knee, her palms warm after holding a hot cup of coffee.

"So, what were you and Preston talking about back there?" she changed the subject.

"Oh." Carter realized he hadn't told Piper about his initiation into the Brotherhood. Knowing how standoffish she was about them, he wouldn't expect any fanfare from her, either. "I, uh, I told him about the Brotherhood."

Piper put away her cup of coffee on the table nearby. "And? Did he tell you what they were about?"

Carter huffed out a breath and clasped his hands together. "Piper, I was initiated into the Brotherhood."

"When?" Piper muttered, her reaction was a lot less loud than Carter expected. He felt his shoulders relax a bit at this revelation.

"I spoke to Danse, and he was interested in recruiting me. I mean, it makes sense, right? I was a veteran before the war, and maybe the Brotherhood's the place where I could belong."

"But I thought you were the General of the Minutemen?"

Carter chuckled bitterly. "I guess that idea didn't quite take, huh?"

Piper contemplated briefly about her companion being in the Brotherhood. She knew how rigid and narrow-minded Brotherhood soldiers could be, but she liked to believe that Carter must be better than that. Better than them, at least.

"Blue, I..." Piper stammered. "I'm not gonna say anything about your decision; I know you can do anything you feel is right, but I just want you to know that you shouldn't believe everything the Brotherhood wants you to believe."

Carter furrowed his brows. "What does that mean?"

"This is a whole new world for you. Your perception about people and humanity might differ from the reality you find yourself in. Those ghouls you saw last night? They were feral, and they need to be taken down. But there are ghouls who are sentient, as intelligent as you or me."

"The Brotherhood is all about human supremacy. While it is true, no other creature that walks the earth are as advanced as we are, but we're in a different time and circumstances now. The Brotherhood wants to wipe out anything that isn't human; be it sentient ghouls, or even synths like Nick. They even hoard technology and use it for their own gain."

Carter felt like slapping himself in the face. I knew it, I knew it was too good to be true. But then again, the Brotherhood might be his best shot of finding Shaun. As much he hated to admit it, his admiration to the Brotherhood was still unyielding despite his newfound doubts.

"I won't do anything like that. I'm really just joining for a sense of purpose, some direction with what to do after I find myself in a world like this." Carter leaned back on the couch. "I just thought, maybe they could help me to find Shaun if I joined up."

"I appreciate you being straight with me, Blue." Piper smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkled as she grinned. For a brief shining moment, Carter almost felt like he was sitting next to Nora again, like how they used to spend lazy Sunday mornings in their living room.

Carter put his hand on Piper's arm, rubbing it gently. "It's been a difficult transition, Piper. But I'm glad you're along for the ride."

Piper looked at the man sitting in front of her, and before she knew it, she stared at his lips. They were slightly chapped, but she couldn't help but feel jealous of the woman who used to taste those lips every day. _I need to get a grip, you don't even know this guy,_ Piper scolded herself.

She chuckled nervously, her cheeks blushing into rosy spheres. "Glad to be here. Never knew wandering off with strangers would turn out this well."

The two sat in silence briefly, before Piper was reminded of what Carter told her on the way back to Sanctuary. "Blue, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"When you told me that I, uh, remind you of Nora? In what way, exactly?"

Carter studied Piper carefully, his eyes never leaving her. "Just you. The way you look, your sense of determination, you're both headstrong, and..." Carter paused, searching for the right words. _You make me realize how much I miss Nora_ , he thought.

"And?" Piper pressed.

"And... you both had sweet tooth." Carter improvised, thought it wasn't entirely fabricated. Nora loved sugary things, which was why getting gifts for her had always been easy.

Piper smirked. "Huh. Maybe I really am your wife's reincarnation."

"I said it before. If you are, I'd be damned lucky." Carter smiled, sending tingles down Piper's spine.

* * *

Night fell upon Sanctuary. Sturges' clever engineering skills got the lights working on Carter's house and the area surrounding it, including the house Preston and Sturges stayed in across the road. Marcy and Jun had their own house next to Carter's, and Mama Murphy lived by her lonesome in the smaller house next to theirs.

Preston set up a firepit on the big yard behind his house and laid out some meat that he had salvaged over the past few days. Mama Murphy sat on one of the benches, her old bones not letting her stand for too long. Sturges grilled meat for everyone, and the Longs sat on the ground, poking the fire. Carter helped by turning the grill by hand to help the meat cook more evenly.

Piper sat next to Mama Murphy, and the older woman barely noticed her presence. The warm firelight gave Mama Murphy's face an ominous illumination, which Piper stared at in fascination.

"I knew you were coming here, kid. I saw it." Mama Murphy mumbled. Piper was slightly taken aback, but kept her composure. "You saw me coming?"

"Yeah. You're a spreader of truth, you've had your fair share of trials and tribulations. You've seen the fire and pitchforks people raise at you, but you press on, because to you, nothing matters more than the truth."

Piper had never once spoken to this woman, and yet she knew everything about the journalist. She scooted herself closer to Mama Murphy and continued to listen. "You live in the great green jewel of the Commonwealth. Most people would think your way of living is cushy and easy, but nothing could be farther from the truth. And I see someone...someone who just entered your life. This person is your fascination, kid. And he'll change your life in more ways than one."

Piper felt her heart skip a beat. Was she talking about Carter?

"What are you saying?"

"You've wanted something for so long, and this person would be your guiding light. His past latches on to him like leeches, but in time, he'll move forward. Everyone wants him to lend a hand, but he only has eyes for you." Mama Murphy gasped heavily for air and coughed. Piper instinctively patted her on the back.

"My gosh, are you okay?" she asked, worried that she might get seriously ill.

"I'm alright, kid. The Sight is taking a toll on me, is all."

Sturges walked over to where the women were sitting. "Here, Mama. Some food for you, why don't we go and eat this back at home, yeah?" Sturges led Mama Murphy back to her abode.

Piper sat slumped back on her bench, her mind racing at Mama Murphy's premonition.

She looked over at Carter. His tall frame towered over Preston's, the sleeves of his shirt rolled to reveal his forearm. She bit her lip as she watched how skillful his fingers were as he manned the grill.

Only has eyes for you.

Mama Murphy's words kept echoing in her ears until she felt her head swim. She shrugged it off, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was just too on-the-nose. Carter was a man out of time, and it would be too soon for her to develop feelings for him, and even more so for him; especially after what happened with his wife.

Piper sighed and rested her chin on her palms. She felt a nudge on her knee and found Dogmeat hovering around there, begging her for attention.

"Hey, pal." She rubbed his ears, Dogmeat's tail wagged in excitement. "Got a big day ahead of you tomorrow, you best rest early tonight." She said in a low voice.

The night ended with everyone at Sanctuary enjoying their meal and they retreated to their homes with their bellies full. Later that night, Carter let Piper sleep in his room and he'd sleep on the couch out in the living room. Despite Piper's endless complaints, Carter would have none of it.

As Piper laid her head on the pillow, her mind wandered to the room she found herself in and what kind of memories it had left of Carter and Nora. Before she knew it, her lids grew heavy and she nodded off to sleep. In her dreams, she saw herself in Carter's arms, feeling an intense rush of relief and comfort course through her veins, only for it to be shattered by reality when her eyes flutter open in the morning.

* * *

 **Heyya!**

 **Man, each chapter is getting longer than the last. I'm just so pumped to write again since I have lots of spare time since finishing my final assignments and the reviews I'm getting are really inspiring me! Keep 'em coming!**

 **What character do you think Carter should meet next? Curie? Or maybe Cait? Find out next time!**

 **Fallout belongs to Bethesda.**


	7. Fatal Grudge

"Dogmeat!" Carter called out. The faithful canine hopped to his feet and trotted off to his master. Preston stood by Carter's side, helping his friend pack the necessary supplies to track down Kellogg. Sturges crafted a handsome looking armor for Dogmeat out of scrap metal and cloth, and upon wearing it, Dogmeat looked absolutely formidable.

"I could spare you this laser musket if you want. Never know what kinda monsters you might run into." Preston grabbed a shinier laser musket he grabbed from the supply closet and handed it to Carter. "Sturges made some mods for it, too. Was the least we could do, after you helped us out."

Carter paused, thinking that he already had the laser pistol he took from Cambridge precinct evidence locker, and taking a laser musket would just weigh him down. To be perfectly honest, he always thought the laser muskets were impractical, even borderline dangerous for close quarter combat.

"Uh..." he hesitated. "I think I already got everything I need. Paladin Danse let me took one of his laser pistols at Cambridge." He tried to let Preston down as gentle as possible. He already felt like he abandoned the Minutemen, now he's going to turn down Preston's offer to help, too? _You really are a jackass,_ he thought.

Preston was disappointed. He felt a pang of worry creep up on him every time Carter seemed to favor the Brotherhood over the Minutemen. The two men communicated well last night, making both their intentions clear. Still, Preston would hate to see the person he admired grow into the typical jaded, narrow-minded, merciless Brotherhood figure. He couldn't shake the feeling that Carter would bring on a turning point for the Minutemen.

Realizing that he was lost in thought, Preston quickly shook it off. "That's alright. Will you at least take these fusion cells?" he handed over a handful of yellow ammo casings to use with his laser pistol. "They could save your life."

Carter took the fusion cells and shoved it in one of his leather chest piece's plentiful pockets. "Much obliged, Preston. You got things covered from here?" Carter asked as he holstered his new laser pistol.

Preston nodded. "We'll survive. We always do, General." He stretched out a hand to Carter. "Come back alive, friend."

Carter winced a little when Preston called him 'General'. He still felt like he was undeserving of that title. Hell, Preston himself would make a better General than he ever would. Regardless, Carter had gained new appreciation for the young Minuteman. He shook Preston's hand, patted his back briefly. "Thanks, Preston. Codsworth will help you out while I'm gone."

Piper emerged from inside the house. She swapped her usual red leather coat to an old dark green jumpsuit. Her trusty 10mm pistol was stashed safely in her holster, and her little satchel was filled with additional ammunition and Stimpaks. Her signature press hat still perched on top of her head, with a pair of road goggles snapped around it.

"Whoa," Carter chuckled, approaching the journalist. "Somebody's ready to roll."

"Well, yeah. How else am I going to fight by the side of an avenging parent?" she playfully nudged at Carter.

"Heh. You know... I got something I want to talk to you about." Carter said. "But it'll have to wait." He bent down and took out the cigar he swiped from Kellogg's home. Dogmeat approached closer and sniffed it close, his wet nose touched Carter's fingers as he held the cigar close to the dog. Piper curiously observed, she couldn't hide the fact that she was a little nervous. What was he trying to tell me? she thought

"Take us to him, boy." Carter commanded. Dogmeat barked in agreement and galloped off, leading the two out of Sanctuary.

Preston waved at the two as they left the settlement. "Be safe, you two! Remember, be ready for anything!" he shouted from the top of his guard tower as Carter and Piper's silhouette disappeared in the distance.

* * *

Dogmeat's rapid steps were almost impossible for Carter to keep up with. He always had to half-jog in order to maintain a safe distance to him. Carter would steal glances at his Pip-Boy, checking his map every few miles to make sure they're within Diamond City's distance.

He's more than aware about the fact that this quest to find Kellogg would prove hazardous for him, _and_ for Piper too. Last night while he was on his couch and stared at the ceiling, he realized that the chance Piper might not make it past this encounter was staggering, and the thought made it hard for him to fall asleep. Piper had her sister to worry about, and as for him? Carter figured he had nothing left to lose. He made a decision, he was to drop off Piper back at Diamond City and travel with Nick Valentine instead. The synth detective was the one who seemed to know all about Kellogg and his background, after all.

His mind was set.

In the distance, the all-too familiar green wall surrounding Diamond City could be faintly seen among the morning fog. Guards wielding baseball bats and submachine guns could be seen sprawling around the area, along with several Eyebots blasting music from Diamond City radio.

"Huh. Didn't realize we're passing through home sweet home." Piper chimed as they made their way through the apartment buildings surrounding the old Fenway park. Carter could feel nervousness creeping up on him, as he didn't know how to tell Piper's headstrong self to stay at home. It's been great and all, Pipes, but I need you to stay home and babysit while I go out and do big boy stuff. No biggies.

When they arrived at Diamond City's gigantic metal gate, Carter turned around to face Piper. Dogmeat, as if sensing the situation, stayed put and chased his tail around while the humans talked.

"Piper," he said, as gently as he could. "I think—I think you should stay put."

Confusion dawned upon Piper. She was perplexed, why did he suddenly not want her by his side anymore? She slid off the road goggles she had on, it hung uselessly around her neck. "Stay put? What are you saying?"

Carter hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I can't let you come with me this time." He lightly squeezed her shoulder encouragingly. "Can't do it in good conscience."

Crossing her arms, Piper ignored the hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I handled myself well back at 114, didn't I? Why shouldn't I come with you to find Kellogg?"

He took his hand off Piper. "You really think Malone's on par with a crazed merc who killed my wife? You really want to die out there and leave Nat all alone? Just—" Carter sighed heavily, he could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He knew this would be an entire ordeal with her. "Just stay, please?"

Piper huffed out a breath and took off her press hat. "Fine, Blue. If that's what you think is best." She had to admit, his line about Nat was what really took the cake.

"I'll take you inside." Carter offered, and they both made their way inside Diamond City once again.

Upon arriving at the front of Publick Occurrences' office, Piper turned around. "You know, you should bring Nick with you instead."

Carter grinned. "That was the plan, doll." He gave Piper a friendly pat on the back. "I'll be off."

"Be safe out there, Blue. Good luck." Piper chided. Carter gave her a wave in the distance as he walked off to pick up Nick from his agency.

 _Come back safe to me, Blue._ she wordlessly thought to herself. Carter disappeared around the corner, and Piper shut the door to her office.

* * *

Nick was excited to get out and travel again. Finding Kellogg with Carter would be one of the most thrilling conclusion to any case he took in a long while. After he left his agency, Diamond City residents and security guards tip their hat politely at Nick as he passed by.

"Mornin', Nick."

"Hiya, Nicky."

"Hi there, Mr. Valentine." One of the children running around the market beamed at the synth detective.

"How you doin', kiddo?" he greeted. Carter looked around curiously, for a city that was supposedly terrified of synths, they sure had warmed up to Nick.

"What are you, prom queen?" Carter snickered.

"Heh. If I _was_ prom queen I'd worry less about getting shot on sight every time I leave Diamond City."

Carter looked at the synth next to him, his plastic skin glinting underneath the afternoon sunlight. "Okay, I was not expecting you to know what 'prom' means."

Nick realized most people didn't know that there were still memories of the pre-war Nick Valentine embedded in his processor. How he wanted to put a rest to those memories and flashes for good. But, instead of boring the life out of his travel partner, Nick shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, you know. Gotta keep the ol' CPU sharp with those pre-war books and magazines."

A chuckle escaped Carter's lips. "Yeah, right. Right? Wouldn't want the ol' software to go out of date."

"I guess so. You wanna spend all day being a wise ass or do you want to go find Kellogg?" Nick asked, slightly irritated.

"Come on then, you grumpy tub of bolts." Carter walked ahead of the synth. "Moving out!" he announced as they set foot back outside Diamond City's gates.

* * *

Dogmeat was an excellent tracker. Along the way, they found several points on the road where the same brand of cigars were found lying around, along with bloodied bandages. Carter made sure Dogmeat caught Kellogg's scent through all these random items, praying to God that it would be enough.

Soon, the faithful canine led the two men to an old military fort west of Diamond City. The front entrance was barricaded with dozens of concrete slabs and old desks, almost completely blocking the door out of sight.

"Fort Hagen, huh? Is he in here, boy?" Carter asked, crouching next to Dogmeat, scratching the canine's ear. "Can you smell him?"

Dogmeat barked and scratched his paws at one of the concrete piles in front of the door.

"I'm guessing that's a yes. Your man is inside, Carter. Let's you and I pay him a little visit."

Carter took out a piece of brahmin meat on a stick he kept in his armor's more spacious pockets. Dogmeat devoured the meat as soon as Carter's fingers came close to his mouth. After giving him a good scratch on his head, Carter tightened up Dogmeat's armor and sent him home.

"You know your way back home, boy? Good. Be safe out there. Off you go, buddy." He gently patted Dogmeat's back and the canine companion trotted back on track, his cautious nose occasionally sniffing the ground.

"He's a good dog, he'll be alright." Nick reassured. "I think there might be a basement parking lot that we could enter from. Although you might want to keep low and slow, might be mines and turrets or god knows what else."

Carter nodded, his laser pistol nestled securely in his hand, his finger inches away from the trigger.

"I'm ready."

* * *

When they made it inside Fort Hagen, Carter could faintly hear the sound of metal hitting the floor, over and over again. He realized those were footsteps. Of what exactly, he wasn't sure.

"Shit. Got some fellow synths patrolling around. Place's crawling with them." Nick observed one of the synth guards pacing around the same area, and another one bumped into a wall time and time again, like a glitched-out broken record. Nick looked around, and noticed a Protectron inside a charge pod. Next to it was a wall-mounted terminal. "I got an idea," Nick very slowly took a few further steps to get close enough to the terminal. "Cover me, will you?"

"You got it." Carter turned his back on Nick and his watchful eyes scoped the room. The synths that patrol the main hall was very much like Nick, with their plastic skin, yellow eyes, and wires as veins. Most of them wield security batons, but some of them were also holding sleek-looking guns with pale silver paint job and a red handle. Whatever those things were, Carter was determined not to get hit by any of them.

Within seconds, Nick successfully hacked the terminal and activated the Protectron. The clunky robot exited its charge pod, its laser claws light up to life as more of his friends within the room was also activated. The synth guards were instantly alerted, and before Carter could blink, the room was lit by laser beams shooting from all directions.

"Let's get a move on before those toasters notice us." Nick motioned for Carter to take the stairs. Amidst the chaos, Carter made his way up and onto the dimly lit utility hallway through a hole in the wall.

"Man, my foot's falling asleep." Carter complained. "I guess you're the lucky one here, Nicky, cause you ain't got no joints and—" his words were interrupted by the feeling of a tight wire snapping under his feet. A tripwire was triggered and Carter felt a staggering jolt of electricity bolt through him as the ceiling-mounted tesla arc shot shocks towards him.

"Goddamn it!" Nick pulled Carter aside to one of the old military quarters and propped him up against the wall. He quickly shut the door behind him, preventing the tesla arc from reaching them. "Kid, get up!"

Carter snapped back awake as his body stopped twitching. He rapidly shook his head to regain feeling on his upper body. His sight went blurry for a short while, and his ear rang as bursts of laser continue to assault them from outside the room. "Nick..." he mumbled. "Synths...outside..."

"Stay here!" Nick commanded as he reloaded his .44 gun.

"By orders of the Institute, you must be destroyed." Robotic voice modules echoed across the hallway. "Lower limb actuator damaged, repairs not possible." One voice just piled up after another until Carter couldn't make out a single word. One of the synths broke through the door, wielding an electrified security baton, crackling with electric current that promised to knock anyone unconscious.

"You must die now, human." It announced in a rigid, robotic voice and raised its arms, ready to smash Carter's skull in full force.

Carter moved his feet with all his might and threw the synth off its footing. It took everything he had to aim his laser pistol at the wiry synth. Carter aimed at its torso, hoping that it would be enough to dislodge its bolts and bringing it to its knees. The laser pistol shot rapidly, staggering the synth's head backwards until it finally disintegrated into a pile of metal rubble.

Nick rushed back inside and injected a Stimpak on Carter. His visions slowly returned to him and he could move his toes again. "You alright?"

Carter nodded. "Goddamn Kellogg and his tripwires. I oughta strangle him with a copper wire after this," he winced in pain as his leg muscles regained their strength. "You did good out there, Nick."

"Nothing like wiping out my own kind to keep the coolant pumping," he replied casually. "Let's get to the elevator. Kellogg must be close."

* * *

The elevator creaked as the two step inside. Carter popped open the hatch on top of the shaft just in case they had to make a break for it, but fortunately, it never came to that. Another long hallway await as the elevator door opened. Fort Hagen was defended, inside and out. Turrets planted everywhere, and so was countless tripwires and mines.

"Try not to step on those mines if you want to go home with all your limbs intact." Nick pointed at one of the mines hidden underneath a cart. "Damn Kellogg armed this place to the teeth."

Carter carefully watched his footing and as he finally made it at the end of the hallway, a gruff, heavy voice boomed from the loudspeakers.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my old friend, the frozen TV dinner. I don't know what you're looking for, but if you value your life, you'll leave. Now."

Looking around, he noticed a speaker mounted near the wall. Carter rushed towards it and shouted. "Kellogg! You fucking worm, come out here and face me!" he angrily smashed the speaker with his fists, his face flushed with heat as he was once again reminded of the scene where Kellogg pulled the trigger on Nora. _I swear to God I'm going to make you suffer,_ Carter thought.

Carter and Nick made their way through the deeper hallways, each one more dangerous than the last. Synths, laser turrets, and plasma mines await them at every corner. Every now and then, Kellogg would come on the loudspeaker to taunt him.

"Look, man. I'm sorry your house's been a wreck for the past two centuries, but I'm actually not looking for a roommate. Get the hell out of here." Kellogg muttered through the speakers, each of his words seared a brand new spark of fury inside Carter.

One hallway ended with a door and a terminal mounted beside it. The knob won't move as Carter tried his hardest to shake it, but it won't budge even when he tried to pick the lock.

"Looks like this one's password encrypted." Nick mused as he inspected the terminal nearby. "Let me see if I could take a crack at—there we go." The terminal beeped in response as the door swung open.

The room behind that door looked like an infirmary of some sort. Medical equipment and Stimpaks scatter, along with RadAways and blood packs. A gurney bed, syringes, and x-ray scans adorn the room, and Carter could hear faint humming beyond another door in that room. Then, he heard Kellogg sigh.

"You made it. Alright, come on through. My synths are standing down. Let's hear what you have to say, pal." Kellogg said as he deactivated the lock to the door.

Carter always thought of the day he'd finally confront Kellogg, but right now he was impatient. He stomped through the door and onto an old observation room, nearly desolate of all illumination until the lights started to lit one by one. That's where he saw him.

Kellogg stood there with the gun that took Nora away from him held between his fingers. His bald head shone under the light, and the synths behind him cautiously stared at Carter as he approached the mercenary.

"Well, if it isn't the most resilient man in the Commonwealth. I never figured you'd make it here. I guess I thought you would make it to Diamond City, after that I wagered the Commonwealth would chew you up like a squirrel on a stick."

"Shut the fuck up. Enough talk. Where's Shaun?" Carter demanded, his chest heaved up and down as he tried his best to keep his composure. He couldn't contain his disgust at the sight of Kellogg, the sight of the man who killed his wife. He couldn't believe that this was the last face Nora had to see before...

"Shaun's fine. He's a tad older than you'd expect, but he's doing excellent." Kellogg nodded. "But, enough talk. I guess we both know how this has to end."

Carter let out a condescending laugh and took out his laser pistol from its holster.

"You know, in a hundred years, when they finally put me six feet under, I only wish I could go to hell so I could crush your skull all over again."

Carter let out a scream as he lunged himself towards Kellogg. The mercenary obviously didn't expect that and he tumbled backwards as Carter pinned him down on the ground. Punches after punches continued to land on his face as his synth guards assaulted Nick with their laser weapons. Kellogg reached up to Carter's face, his nails scratching hard down the other man's neck. Carter winced in pain, but nothing gave him satisfaction than watching Kellogg's nose crook to the side with blood gushing all over his face. Kellogg gripped his gun and smashed the handle on Carter's face, resulting in blood gushing out of his nose and mouth.

"I oughta put a bullet on you in that vault." Kellogg reloaded his gun and aimed it at Carter's forehead. Carter gripped Kellogg's wrists and twisted it backwards, loosening his grip on the pistol. The pistol fell to the floor with a clatter, and Carter kicked it all the way across the room, leaving the two men to struggle with their fists.

"Systems shutting down..." the last of the synth guards stiffened up and dropped to the floor, the nuts and bolts keeping it together scattered around the floor. Nick turned his attention to Carter, pinned to the wall by Kellogg who was struggling to get a good grip on his head to bash his face in.

"Nick! Get that gun! Shoot this fucker!" Carter shouted as he tried to push off Kellogg, but his attempts were futile. Kellogg grasped the collar of his shirt and slammed Carter to the ground. Landing face-first, Carter could feel his nose turning sideways, a sign of severe bone damage. Kellogg forced Carter to face him and turned him on his back, his foot was perched on Carter's forehead, ready to stomp him to unconsciousness.

Nick ran over to the corner of the room and kicked Kellogg's .44 towards Carter. "You never should've come here." Kellogg said breathlessly. "You're nothing but a soft pre-war vault dweller, what makes you think you could take me on?"

The gun landed near Carter's left arm with a soft clatter. As his vision grew darker, Carter took the gun in his hands, raised his arm, and emptied all six rounds on Kellogg's head. The top half of the mercenary's head flew off with the first couple of rounds, and his head disintegrated into a pile of red paste by the time the sixth shot was fired. Kellogg's headless corpse collapsed next to Carter, pool of blood forming underneath his lifeless body.

* * *

"You okay?" Nick applied some bandages on Carter's broken nose, and patched up the scratches on his neck. Carter's flannel shirt was nearly all soaked with blood, both his and Kellogg's. Carter took a sip of purified water he packed for the ride and swallowed his Buffout pills.

"He's dead, Nick. He deserved it for what he did to Nora." Carter hissed through gritted teeth. Even the sight of his mangled corpse was not enough to alleviate the fury he had for him. "Why didn't you shoot him like I told you to?"

Nick shrugged. "Figured you'd want to be the one to finish the job."

"You know, with all these synths running around backing him up, it's obvious he was with the Institute." Nick continued.

Carter looked at Nick curiously. "You never did tell me what the Institute was, or why everyone was so damn scared of them."

"Basically they're Commonwealth's boogeyman. Someone goes missing but no corpse was ever found? The Institute would be the likely culprit. They take people away and replace them with synths. Not old synths like me, mind you, 'cause you could probably see me coming from a mile away. I'm talking about _human_ synths, looks as much flesh and blood as you or anyone else."

"Damn." Carter muttered. "So that's why everyone was so scared of synths."

"They're not all bad. Some of them don't realize they're synths, some more of them escape the Institute willingly, tired of being their slaves, apparently. Then there's the infiltrator synths, who knew as well as anyone they're spies for the Institute. You know that article Piper wrote about McDonough?"

"She claimed McDonough was a synth?" Carter guessed, he figured that was why McDonough was so angry about Piper being let back into Diamond City.

"Exactly that." Nick sat down next to Carter, rolling up the rest of the bandages. "Kellogg must have been their henchmen of some sort. But why did he choose your family? And why Shaun in particular?"

"I guess that's our job to find out." Carter winced as he felt a sting of pain running through his face from his broken nose. It really hurt for him to speak as it would move his nose in a way, and the broken bones underneath would scrape against each other, causing extreme pain and discomfort.

Nick propped himself up to his feet and helped Carter up. "You're in a real rough shape, bud. We gotta get you some medical attention."

"Where? Diamond City's like a good 15 miles from here."

"Vault 81. It's not far from here, they got a pretty decent doctor down there. Being a fellow vault dweller, I'm sure they'll let us in."

A vault? Carter was certain all vaults must've been abandoned or reclaimed by thugs like Skinny Malone at this point. But he didn't have time to question Nick as the pain became more and more uncomfortable for him. This was definitely not something he could just sleep off.

"Hold up." Nick knelt down next to Kellogg's corpse and picked up a piece of his brain, with all sorts of wires attached to it. "What do you figure that is?"

"Gross, Nick." The sight of Kellogg's brain piece coated in blood squishing around Nick's metal fingers made Carter queasy. Nick took out a tiny plastic baggie and stuffed the brain piece.

"What'd you keep that for?"

"That, my friend, is top-of-the-line Institute technology. We just need to find the right people to figure out what it is."

Carter nodded. "Well, until then, we gotta deal with the result of Kellogg smashing my face in the ground." He felt another shot of pain coursing through him as the bandage on his nose loosened up. "Let's get the hell out of here."

The elevator powered up and the two step inside. It led them to Fort Hagen's roof access, and to Carter's surprise, it was already nighttime. The cold night air burst in, evaporating the sweat and blood left on his person. Suddenly, he heard echoes of whirring and humming above him. It was too loud and distracting to be ignored. _Could that be... no. No way. Vertibirds?_

He looked up and what he saw made his jaw hung open. A gigantic blimp with a dozen searchlights adorning its perimeter floated above him. Several vertibirds flew by its side, escorting the blimp to its destination. The way the blimp was lit contrasted the pitch black night sky, enough to illuminate even the roads underneath. The glare of the searchlights made Carter narrow his eyes.

"People of the Commonwealth," a voice from the blimp called out. "Do not interfere. Our intentions are peaceful." The blimp dispatched a couple more vertibirds as it floated by Fort Hagen and on to Diamond City. "We are the Brotherhood of Steel." The voice continued.

 _Holy shit,_ Carter thought. _Looks like reinforcements have arrived._

* * *

 **Hey!**

 **It sucks that I had to keep Piper in the sidelines for this chapter, but Nick is one of my favorite companions to travel with! You could guess who Carter is going to meet next in Vault 81? *wink wink***

 **I know Vault 81 is actually not that close to Fort Hagen, and it's actually closer to Diamond City, but for the sake of the story just roll with it yeah? :D**

 **I'm really excited to write more about Carter and his adventures in the Brotherhood! And who knows, something big might happen between him and Piper next chapter :)**

 **Fallout belongs to Bethesda.**


	8. Nightingale

_I have, uhh, I have an announcement from the uh, the mayor's office. You know that airship, the one that just floated by moments ago? Apparently, um, the Brotherhood of Steel has arrived in the Commonwealth. The Mayor, he, uh, told me to tell you that, er, you know, they mean no harm, and you should be calm, and all. Looks like they took over the old Boston airport, too. But that's just what I heard. So if I'm wrong, and if the Brotherhood hears this, I, uh, I'm sure you are all very nice. Please don't kill me. This has been an announcement from, uh, Diamond Radio-I mean, Diamond City Radio. Hey, how about some tunes?_

* * *

Carter and Nick continued their journey deep into the night. The time on his Pip-Boy showed that it was 2 in the morning, and wandering around the Commonwealth at night while badly wounded wasn't the brightest idea anyone's ever had. Normally, Carter would feel dog tired at this hour, but the adrenaline and pain from his fight with Kellogg earlier was enough to keep him alert and awake. Occasionally he would stumble in his steps and Nick had to prop him back up to his feet. In the distance, the synth detective's glowing yellow eyes could make out the faint glow coming from the searchlight mounted on top of the cave where Vault 81 was built under.

"We're almost home-free, bud. Stay with me." Nick threw Carter's arm around him and half-dragged him to the Vault entrance.

"My legs are fine, Nick. If you wanted a hug you could just say so," Carter jested, chuckling and wincing in pain as the pain from his broken nose flared back up again.

"I'd think of a comeback if it weren't for the fact we're sitting ducks out here." Nick quickened their pace and the rain suddenly stopped pouring over their heads as they made it inside the cave. Carter saw the same vault door control panel as the ones he saw in 111 and 114. Curiously, 81's vault doors were sealed shut. The cave was so deathly quiet that Carter could hear the faint whirring within Nick's endoskeleton.

"Well, you got your Pip-Boy, don't ya?" Nick pointed towards the control panel. "Do your thing."

Carter pulled out the vault door control connector from his Pip-Boy and connected it to the tab on the panel. He pressed the red coupler ignition switch with all the strength he had left, and waited for the vault door alarm to blare.

"Halt. Vault 81 security. I don't know where you got a working Pip-Boy, but you better do some fast talking." A stern voice came from the speakers around the door, and Carter realized the vault control panel's intercom was still active.

"We got a wounded man here, Edwards." Nick stepped forward, he leaned his head closer to the intercom. "It's Valentine, let us in."

"Nick Valentine? Wait, how do I know this is really you? I ain't letting some scavver in here without—" Edwards fell quiet for a brief second as another voice emerged over his.

"Who is it, Edwards?" a female voice interrupted. Her tone was firm and domineering, like that of a leader.

"Overseer. Didn't realize you're still awake. It's Nick Valentine, he said he's got a wounded man with him."

"Nick Valentine's here? For God's sake, Edwards, open the doors." She demanded.

"But, Overseer, what if—"

"I'll deal with the what-ifs, Edwards. Now open the damn doors."

Sure enough, the familiar sound of alarms that went off when a vault door roll open started to blare all around the cave. As the gigantic cog rolled over and revealing the vault walkway, the bright lights from within the vault glared at Carter, prompting him to use his hand to shield his eyes.

Naturally, the lights made all the cuts and bruises on Carter's person all the more visible. He couldn't help but feel exposed. He was sure the amount of blood that drenched his flannel shirt made him look like he just went for a swim with a Yao Guai.

"My goodness. Is he alright, Valentine?" a full-figured, redheaded woman in a vault suit inquired at Nick, her head peered curiously at their direction. "Miranda, go see about him." She motioned at another woman in a Vault-Tec lab coat. Miranda was fumbling with her fingers, and Carter could tell she was hesitant to go near him, but Miranda complied anyway and led Carter inside.

"Guy got into quite the altercation. Got into some trouble over at Fort Hagen." Nick stepped closer to the woman and gratefully shook her hand. "Thanks for letting us in, McNamara."

Overseer McNamara let out a chuckle. "After all you've done for Forsynthe, Nick? It was the least we could do. So, what were you doing in Fort Hagen? Some of our security staff saw one of those wiry Institute synths prowling around the area not long ago."

"It was a long story, unfortunately." Nick took off his hat and clutched it between his metal appendages. "For now, why don't we tend to our friend over there?"

"Nose's broken pretty bad, Overseer." Miranda chided from the bench. "Some open wounds around here too," she motioned at the area around Carter's brow bone. _Oh, so that's why,_ Carter wondered in his head. He had been feeling plenty woozy and pangs of sharp pain kept shooting his temples. "Maybe we should turn him over to Dr. Forsynthe?"

McNamara walked over to Carter and cringed as she saw his wounds up close. "Very well. Stay put here, Miranda. I'll take him to the infirmary."

"Hear that, pal? Everything will be right as rain." said Nick as he squeezed Carter's shoulders gently. Carter smiled lightly and for some reason gave the synth a thumbs-up. As soon as Miranda was dismissed, she jumped back from Carter like a burned cat. She turned her back on the two travel partners and stomped off from the vault exit zone.

McNamara took Carter to the vault elevator and they arrived at the atrium. Very few people meander around the hallway at this hour, but Carter was astounded to see a vault so well-preserved. Seeing Vault 81, he was reminded of what vaults could truly be if it wasn't for the nefarious agendas hidden within by Vault-Tec. It was quite disorienting for him to see a vault that wasn't overrun by thugs or dead bodies scattered throughout.

"Wow." Carter mumbled in a hushed voice. "This place is insane."

"Yeah, we'll have the tour as soon as you could see straight, my friend." Nick patted Carter's shoulder as the overseer guided them through the halls of the vault.

By the time they finally arrived at the infirmary, Carter was exhausted. All he wanted to do was to throw himself on a bed and drift off. Inside the infirmary was an old black man busying himself behind a terminal and a young woman in a lab coat stood nearby with a clipboard.

"Ah, Overseer. How may we help you?" he stood from his chair and walked over to the infirmary entrance. Nick entered the room with Carter, and the man immediately propped him up by his shoulders. "My god! Curie, stitch him up and get me some blood packs."

"At once!" the young woman named Curie put her clipboard away and zoomed to the supply closet and came back with a few fresh packs of blood.

"Nick Valentine's friend here needs our help, Forsynthe." McNamara followed the doctor as he laid Carter down on one of the infirmary beds. Carter's back groaned and cracked as he laid down, the soft pillow underneath his head almost immediately lured him to sleep. He felt nimble fingers unbuttoning his flannel shirt and lifting his shirt over his head. The chilly air of the infirmary made the hairs on his arms stand up. Carter's vision started to blur away ever so slightly, and the voices of the people bickering around him faded away as he gave in to his exhaustion and lulled off to sleep.

* * *

Curie was having an ordinary night at the infirmary with Dr. Forsynthe. It was her turn to do the night shift, and as she was sorting through the inventory, Overseer McNamara walked through the door with Nick Valentine. They brought along a very wounded man and her first instinct was to drop everything she was doing to lend him a hand. Dr. Forsynthe let the man sleep on one of their beds and left Curie to tend to him while he spoke to the overseer.

Upon closer inspection, Curie found herself thinking how curious this stranger man was. He had on a Pip-Boy on his wrist, but he was not wearing a vault suit, and he looked to rugged and worn to be a vault dweller. As Curie peeled off his shirt, she felt herself blush as she revealed the body underneath.

"Mon dieu," she muttered to herself. His olive skin was tarnished in scratches and bruises; they were especially bad around his neck and collarbone area. His chest lightly heaved up and down with every breath, and as Curie looked up at him, his eyes were already closed. She studied the wounds on his face. His nose crooked to the side, a sign of broken bone. A few minor cuts adorn his lips, and more severe ones scatter around his forehead and brow bone.

Curie couldn't figure out why her heart was hammering so fervently against her chest as she tended to the man's wounds. He had seen men's bodies before, so what was it about this person that bothered her so? With every stroke of her warm-water soaked rags, the man would often mumble and wince in his sleep. Curie shook off her wandering thoughts and focused on the wounds. She stitched them up and bound every cut on his person with bandages. Then she got up from her chair and got out the tubes and syringes. Curie pricked the tip of the shiny needle on the man's arm vein and administered some blood to make up for the loss. When she was done, the man slept so peacefully, and his light snores could be heard within the quiet, cold walls of the infirmary. She pulled a linen blanket from the supply closet and draped it over his body. She then retreated to her quarters, hoping to wake up to see the man again.

* * *

Carter opened his eyes to see a blurred bundle of whiteness before him. He could faintly hear conversing voices overlapping near him, voices that he couldn't recognize. He propped himself up by his elbows to sit up on the bed, and he realized his torso was bare.

He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again to adjust his view, and next to him was a young woman sitting on a stool with a concerned look on her face. She had on a lab coat and one of her hands was clad in a rubber glove. A dark brown shoulder-length haircut framed her fresh-looking face, and her hazel blue eyes met his dark ones. Carter noticed her cheeks flush as he looked at her.

"Oh, my." She hushed. "You are awake." Her voice was soft and breathy, something that reminded Carter of old romance movies. She spoke in a peculiar French accent one would usually find in Miss Nanny robots.

He won't lie; he thought she was a lovely sight. Not the worst thing for someone to wake up to, that's for sure.

"Am I in heaven?" he jested, as he exaggeratingly feigned pain on his forehead. "Have I died and gone to heaven?"

The woman leapt from her seat and carefully laid him back down. "Are you in pain, monsieur? I could administer more Med-X for you if you so wish it."

Carter let out a chuckle and sat back up. "It's alright, I was just messing with you. Miss...?"

"My designation was Contagions Vulnerability Robotic Infirmary Engineer, or Curie for short." she replied, smiling politely at Carter.

"What're you? A robot or something?" he inquired, sounding a touch too skeptical to his liking.

"Why, yes. But, also, no. I used to be a Miss Nanny unit, until Monsieur Valentine helped me transition into a synth."

Carter raised his eyebrows in awe. _So this is what human synths look like_ , he thought. There was nothing robotic or mechanical about her at all. She was kind enough to a stranger, and smart enough to tend to a man's wounds without furthering the damage. For what it's worth, Carter already thought of Curie as human as him or anyone else.

"That's quite a story, Curie. I'm Carter." He stretched out his hand to introduce himself, and Curie stared at him in bewilderment.

Carter took Curie's ungloved hand and placed it firmly in his grasp. He gently shook it up and down to introduce the synth to the concept of courtesy. "This is how we say hello for the first time."

Curie's face lit up as she learned this. "Ah, this is what they call a handshake?" she giggled. "You are so very polite, Monsieur Carter."

"Exactly that. And I look pretty good in baseball uniforms, too." He gave the young doctor a playful wink, to which she only responded with a confused smile.

"Speaking of uniforms, I'm afraid your clothes were too much of an obstruction last night, so I took the liberty to unburden you." She handed Carter the same flannel shirt he wore last night, but this time it was clean and crisp. "It is not good for you to wear wet clothes. You wouldn't want to catch a cold, would you?"

Carter let out a small laugh, he found something so endearing about the Curie's innocence and adherence to medical protocol. He stood up from the bed and slid his shirt over his head, and buttoned his flannel back up. The pain that used to gnaw on his forehead and nose had dissipated significantly, and his eyesight had returned to normal. He took a glance at himself in the nearby wall-mounted mirror, and noticed new scars had formed around his thick brows. He thought back on the fight with Kellogg, and he looked at the ring still on his left hand finger.

His mind raced back to Nora. He did it; he killed the man who took his wife from him.

But why did he still feel that glaring emptiness gnawing at him?

"Carter?" Curie called out, her soft voice startled his thoughts. "I believe Monsieur Nick is waiting for you in the atrium. He would very much like to see you, I imagine."

He huffed out a deep breath and looked over at the woman next to him. As they stood closer to each other, Carter noticed their jarring height difference, and how the top of her head could only reach his chest; Curie had to hold her head high to face him properly. Carter glanced down and felt a smile pull at the corners of his lips. "Thanks, Curie. I'll see you around."

Curie felt her chest tighten. She was disappointed her encounter with the stranger would end so soon.

"I hope so. Be safe, Monsieur." Curie said, waving at him as he left the infirmary.

* * *

The Vault 81 atrium was just as busy as Diamond City marketplace during the day. Vault dwellers line up at the diner to get their lunch, the commissary was full of people browsing and shopping for supplies, the vault hallways had maintenance workers meandering about, and the barber near the vault elevator was shearing off a woman's hair, giving her a sleek mohawk in exchange. There were people sitting around on the benches scattered around the area, and one of them was reading a copy of Publick Occurrences, and it was right at that moment when Carter realized that the newspaper might had more influence than he realized.

"Well, look who's finally up." Nick's familiar voice greeted Carter as he entered the diner area in the atrium. The synth detective was tinkering himself with a small screwdriver, Carter noticed he picked at the part between his ears the most, which as he recalled, was where his personality servers were kept. Nick remained seated at one of the diner benches, and curiously, no vault dwellers chose to sit with him despite the fact that Nick had apparently done a lot for Vault 81.

"Man. You won't believe the morning I had, Nick." Carter rubbed the back of his neck, he felt some of his joints crack as he sat back down on the bench. "You know that synth doctor at the infirmary?"

"Curie? Yeah, nice gal." Nick put away his screwdriver and shoved it back into his coat pocket.

"She told me that she used to be a Miss Nanny robot, until you helped her transition into a synth." Carter put air quotes in between the word, as he still could not shake off how strange and fascinating the procedure might have been. "How did you manage to do that?"

"I wasn't the one who did it. You see this?" Nick took out the brain tissue he picked up from Kellogg's corpse at Fort Hagen. The bloody, sinewy sight still managed to make Carter's stomach churn. "There's a doctor over at Goodneighbor; Doctor Amari. Curie herself was never your run-of-the-mill Miss Nanny, her creators programmed her with personality subroutine, which was why she told Forsynthe about wanting to be in a human body to further science and all. So she downloaded her data onto a deceased synth brain along with her memories and personalities. And here she is today, the young doctor we know and love."

"That's remarkable," Carter mused, even in the post-war world what Amari had accomplished with Curie sounded revolutionary. What stood out for Carter was how human and fluid Curie was in person. The way she giggled, or how her irises would dilate when their eyes meet, and how nimble she moved around the infirmary, offering help to those who in need.

"Although I still don't understand how this Amari person had anything to do with Kellogg."

"Bear with me. Amari always had a knack for tinkering with brains in general. Kellogg worked with the Institute for god knows how long, he _has_ to know something about your son."

Carter recalled the conversation he had with Kellogg at Fort Hagen. He said that Shaun was alive, only he's a bit older. Nick was right, he has to know something.

"Well, Kellogg won't be remembering anything now after I blew off half of his head." he muttered bitterly.

"Maybe not. But this will." Nick put the tiny plastic baggie on the table and pushed it towards Carter. "That piece of brain is embedded with cybernetic augmenter. I bet Amari can take a crack at this and with luck, explore Kellogg's memories that will no doubt involve Shaun."

Carter slapped the diner bench's surface excitedly. "Nicky, you goddamn genius!" he exclaimed, wanting to squeeze the arm of the synth detective encouragingly only to find his fingers pressing on hard metal and plastic instead of flesh.

"Heh. Amari's the genius here, really. Let's you and I take a trip to Goodneighbor. She sets up shop at the Memory Den over there."

"Sounds good, I can't wait to see if this works."

"Let's hope so. She works for the Railroad, you see. She would often perform mind wipes on runaway synths to break away any failsafe the Institute might have planted on them. Naturally, she isn't fond of strangers. So don't be surprised if she ain't rolling out the welcome mat once you're there."

"Hold up, hold up," Carter sat back down, interrupted. His mind was jumbling with so many questions and new information that he just couldn't take in all at once. "Who's the Railroad?"

Nick chuckled gruffly. "Kid, you got a lot to learn."

Shrugging, Carter eventually replied. "That's what Piper told me, too."

"Speaking of, maybe we should bring her along to Goodneighbor. She would kill to see Amari explore that old merc's memories."

Carter thought about it, and eventually replied after a short pause. "You know, I think I'll just go see her at Diamond City after all this."

"Suit yourself. Though you should send word that you're alright, she must be worried about you."

"Why would that be the case?"

Nick shrugged, "Well, for one thing, you've been traveling together for a while, and you've obviously left an impression on her. Why else was she so ready to throw herself in the face of danger by coming along to fight Kellogg by your side?"

Carter let the thought run through his head. Nick was right, Piper wasn't a hired gun or even a longtime friend of his. She wanted to come along because they're supposed to be partners. His heart felt heavy as he was once again reminded of Nora, and he knew that by seeing Piper he would either be relieved from that pain or feel incredibly guilty for moving on from Nora so quickly.

Nick noticed the sudden loss for words his traveling partner caught himself in. Even in a synth body, he missed the feeling of confusion that inevitably came with human relationships. He got up from his diner bench and walked out of the vault's dining area. "You coming? If we leave now we should be able to get to Goodneighbor before dark."

Carter was ready to leave until he raised his left wrist to realize he was not wearing his Pip-Boy. Curie must've taken it off him when she tended to his wounds.

"Shit. I left something back there, I'll catch up."

"Time is of the essence here, pal. I'll stop by Diamond City to send word to Piper. See you in Goodneighbor." Nick walked past the crowded atrium and onto the hallway leading to the vault entry elevator. The synth detective disappeared from Carter's sights shortly after.

He passed a couple of people in the hallway, and the noises from the atrium started to drown out as he made his way back to the infirmary. Out of nowhere, he heard a frantic footsteps echo behind him drawing closer.

"Carter!" Curie panted breathlessly; a strong urgency heard in her voice. "Dr. Forsynthe needs you. Immediately."

* * *

Back at the infirmary, a small redheaded boy laid motionless on the bed Carter slept on the previous night. The infirmary door opened, and Carter walked in. A strong scent of antiseptic and water greeted them upon entry. He witnessed Dr. Forsynthe arguing with an equally old woman in a lab coat, along with a gaunt vault dweller by her side.

"This is all your fault, Bobby! You and your recklessness! Anything for the chems, huh?" the old woman barked at the vault dweller named Bobby. Bobby fumbled with his words as he tried to dodge the blame. "It—it wasn't my fault! No one was watching that kid, why was he in the reactor, anyway?"

"Dr. Penske, enough! We need to find a cure for Austin before it's too late, and I'd rather not waste precious time bickering like schoolchildren." Forsynthe tried resolving the situation as civilized as possible. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Carter's silhouette and motioned him to come closer. "You, outsider. I need you to do us a favor."

Carter was slightly puzzled, he didn't know why these people were arguing, and why there was a comatose redheaded boy lying on the bed.

"Uh, okay? What is it?"

"I need you to assist Curie in retrieving a cure for Austin." He pointed towards the boy, all color was drained from his face, and his red hair looked jarring against his ashen skin. "Austin was bit by a mole rat, and Curie's concoction might be the only thing that could save his life."

"How did he get bit?" Carter inquired.

"You see, Bobby here," Dr. Penske pointed at the skinny vault dweller. "He's a chem addict, and he keeps his stash of Jet on the other side of this vault that was crawling with diseased mole rats. Left the door open and in went Austin." She was fuming, but Carter could tell that she was also seconds away from breaking down. "Please, outsider. You would not only be doing us a favor, you'd be saving a child's life. You understand, don't you?"

Carter didn't flinch, and he agreed immediately. What's a couple mole rats gonna do to him? After all, he had done more for a lot less. He walked over to Curie, she was sitting on the stool next to the bed and gently stroked Austin's hair.

"Hey, is he gonna be alright?" Carter curiously took a closer look at Austin. He looked as though he was asleep, and he could tell from how heavy his chest moved up and down that it was a struggle for him to breathe.

"I'm afraid he is in most dire need of assistance." Curie placed her hand on Carter's arm, her fingers felt cold on his warm skin. "I will take you to the lab on the other section of the vault. Will you...?" Curie didn't know how to finish her sentence, she had never asked another human to risk their life for her before.

Carter placed his hand on top of hers. "I'll keep you safe. Let's go."

* * *

Bobby led Carter and Curie to the abandoned section of the vault through the reactor area. As the doors open, Carter could tell that this side of the vault was once occupied, though only by very few people. He only passed a couple of quarters as they made their way further before Curie pointed at the room at the end of the atrium. Other than that, this side of the vault was wrecked to hell and back, with loose wires all over the place and decomposing mole rat corpses scatter the place.

"That is my old lab, right there." Her face was forlorn, she sighed deeply at the sight of the decrepit lab. "When I was still a robot, I was trapped there for 83 years, until Dr. Forsynthe saved me." she recalled the day like it was yesterday. She could feel her circuits go into overdrive as her lab doors finally open, letting her out into the world.

"83 years? Damn." He murmured as he carefully scouted his surroundings for mole rat ambush spots. If one bite could knock a kid out cold like that, who knows what it could do to an adult man.

"The cure is in that lab. There is only one dose left, it is my hope that we could still acquire it." Curie took out a keycard from her lab pocket and accessed the atrium hallway leading to her lab. She sped up her pace to reach the lab doors when a sudden burst of mole rats emerge from the decrepit observation room around her.

"Curie! Look out!" Carter instinctively leapt on his feet and pointed his laser pistol at one of the rats. One blast created a hole on the mole rat's belly, spilling blood and sinew all over the ground.

Curie took out the 10mm pistol Forsynthe gave her and fumbled with the trigger. She aimed at one of the mole rats and as her finger squeezed the trigger the gun recoiled hard in her hands, sending her arms jumping up with each shot. One of her shots hit a mole rat right on its cranium. It exploded as it twitched frantically for a brief moment.

Carter stomped on the head of the last mole rat and panted heavily. "My god," he mumbled. "Can't believe these things are still here."

"Poor Clyde." Curie knelt down near one of the rats they killed. "Rest well, little one."

"You named them?"

"They used to be research specimens for my research at the lab. I suppose they've bred since then." Curie sighed, she knew it was necessary to kill the mole rats, but she couldn't help but be entrenched in guilt as she ended the life of one of her only comrades during her years trapped in the lab.

Carter stretched out his hand and helped Curie back to her feet. "Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, Curie." Her hand felt soft in his calloused fingers. "You did a good job back there."

"Oh, I'm a terrible shot." She groaned, her hands still within Carter's grasp. He chuckled in response and gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Practice makes perfect, right?"

Curie felt herself blush as Carter's eyes peer onto hers. They were rich, dark brown like mud from the deepest oceans. Curie found out why she always felt her knees weaken at the sight of him. It's because she thought she was _handsome_ , and he was _charming_. Upon consulting this to Dr. Forsynthe, he told her of an old-world syndrome called the Florence Nightingale syndrome. It was when caretakers would develop feelings for those in their care. Eventually, she found herself tugging at her clothes and fixing her hair whenever he's around, trying to look her best hoping that he'll find her attractive, too. _My goodness, I need to take a hold of myself,_ Curie thought.

"So, er, the cure?" Curie motioned towards the lab doors and Carter was reminded why they were here. "Shall we?"

"Of course, lead the way, Curie." He let go of her hand and watched as she input the password for the lab. The door opened and the smell of old fertilizer and animal feed burst out and greeted their senses.

"Whoo! That reeks!" Carter exclaimed and covered his nose with his sleeve. "We got the cure, Curie?"

Curie raced inside the lab and her heart hammered in her chest. _It all comes down to this, Curie. If you don't find the cure, Austin dies,_ she thought.

"I found it!" she couldn't contain her excitement and let out a squeal. "Let's bring this back, yes?"

Carter took out his laser pistol from his holster and put his arm around her as they speed up their pace to make their way back to the reactor room. As the lab door slam shut, alarms went off around the vault. Carter frantically looked around and heard the familiar hum of Protectron charge pod disengaging. He could tell that the Protectron was somewhere near the atrium entrance, but just then, 4 more Protectron units emerged from their pods scattered around the atrium.

"Curie! Stay close to me!" he shouted. Curie complied and pulled out her 10mm. She fired blindly towards the direction of the Protectrons, her bullets would sometimes ricochet against the vault walls. The familiar clanking of a Protectron could be heard not far from where they were standing, and two of them were hovering around the hallway, looking for the intruders. Fortunately, the distance between the atrium and the door leading to 81's reactor room weren't far, and soon enough they made it to the door.

"Intruder identified. Please do not retaliate." The Protectron had found them and his laser guns were poised, ready to kill whoever's in his way.

Metallic smell of ozone was strong in the air as Carter pulled his trigger over and over again to take down the Protectron. Some of his head gear went flying away as Carter hit the Protectron's cranial frame. Soon enough, the rest of the Protectron units came by and continued raining down hails of lasers and nail guns towards them.

"You gotta get outta here, get the cure to Austin!" He turned the switch to open the reactor room door and pushed Curie into it, sending her back to the other side of Vault 81. The door immediately shut down after she landed on the other side, leaving Carter to fend for himself from the Protectron.

"No!" was all that Curie managed to squeak before Carter was out of her sight behind the door. She stood back up on her feet and reached for the switch to reopen the door leading to the other side of 81 until Forsynthe ran into the reactor and held her back.

"Stop! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Forsynthe clasped his arms around Curie's waist, thwarting her from going anywhere near the other vault's entrance.

"He will die in there! Somebody, help him!" she struggled to break free from the doctor's grip.

Dr. Penske ran into the reactor room and tried to soothe the young woman. "We need to get that cure to Austin, Curie. Before it's too late."

"But..."

"He can handle himself, Curie. You there! Get the outsider out of here!" Forsynthe motioned for the vault security staff in the reactor to get to the other side of 81.

Suddenly, the sound of firefight on the other side of the door ceased. When Forsynthe flipped the switch to open the door, Carter laid slumped against the walls with 5 Protectron units scattered around him. He breathed shakily, and his vision went black.

* * *

Carter woke back up in the infirmary with one of the worst headaches he had ever felt. Not even hangovers he had were ever this bad. As he adjusted his vision, he realized he was lying on the bed he slept in the previous night, which means Austin was not there anymore.

He forced himself to sit straight up and looked around to see if anyone was around. The only sound he could hear within the infirmary was the slight hum of ventilators planted within the ceilings. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his Pip-Boy lying on the table where Forsynthe's terminal was located. Carter strapped it back on, and the sound of the infirmary door opening made him turn around.

Curie let out a slight gasp at the sight of him, she felt relief wash over her as she saw Carter alive and well, standing on his own. She ran towards him and fumbled with her fingers, not knowing what to say.

"Hey there," Carter chimed and put his hand on her shoulder when she was close enough. "Is Austin okay?"

Curie nodded, "You saved his life," she put her hand on her chest, clasping her fingers together. "And mine."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't know how to respond. On one hand, he did risk his life to save two people he barely knew, but what was he supposed to do? He was only acting upon his first instinct, and he was afraid if people brand him a "hero", he would have to live up to their expectations, which he predicted would fall short any day now.

"It was no big deal," he replied.

"No. It is a big deal." Curie insisted, she let out a deep sigh and looked down at her loafers. "I begged Monsieur Valentine to make me a synth for one purpose: for science. My entire life has been in this vault. I have analyzed and learned everything there is to know here. When I saw what you did for Austin, for _me_ , I realized that Dr. Forsynthe was wrong. There are good people out there. So now I must see the rest of the Commonwealth. Consult with scientists. Unearth more data to challenge my hypotheses."

She looked up at the man in front of her, what she was going to ask next made for the most nerve-racking moment she had ever experienced since becoming a synth. "Carter, may I come with you?"

Carter's eyes widened in surprise. This woman had spent her entire life in this vault, what could she possibly know about surviving out in the Commonwealth?

"Curie, you sure you up for this?" he asked. Curie avoided his gaze and stared forward at this chest. "There's more danger up there than you could possibly know."

"I know I have a lot to comprehend. But you will be by my side, won't you?" her naivete could be heard in her voice, but Carter could also tell how _hopeful_ she was. She wanted out for good reasons, and if this woman was the only sliver of good out there in the Commonwealth, then he would be _damned_ to deny her.

"Of course, Curie." He affirmed, and his heart was filled with relief as he saw Curie's face lit up with delight. She stretched out a hand, just like how he had taught her. "Thank you." She beamed.

Carter was amused by how quickly she learned about the old world customs of handshaking. He let out a slight chuckle and shook her hand. "Stick with me and I might teach you how to shoot straight."

"I am most eager to be your pupil!" she excitedly replied as they made their way out of the vault.

* * *

 **Yeah! Our Carter finally met Curie! I made some adjustments to the Vault 81 storyline to make it more convenient, and I hope it makes sense! Next chapter I'll focus more on his role in the Brotherhood and turn my attention back to Piper. I bet it'll be more fun with Curie in the picture this time!**

 **Leave a fave or review! Your reviews keep me motivated :D**

 **I'm thinking about also posting this story on AO3 to gain more exposure, what do you guys think?**

 **Fallout belongs to Bethesda.**


	9. A Good Night at Goodneighbor

Goodneighbor reminded Carter of what it was like for him to visit New York for the first time. It was both fascinating and harrowing at the same time. The smell of gas emitting from the manhole covers intermingled with urine-soaked garbage and the sound of locals angrily bargaining with the local traders greeted him as soon as he stepped through the gates. Neon signs splayed on top of shops gave the dark streets an ominous glow. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a couple of junkies jamming needles on their veins in the alleyways. Then, he noticed the building those junkies were leaning on was the Old State House; he would recognize it in a million lifetimes.

 _Far cry from Diamond City,_ he thought.

He was glad he told Curie to get herself to Sanctuary. This did not look like a place where someone like her would do well. He marked Sanctuary's location on Curie's map, and told her to seek out Preston, who would surely take her in. Carter figured if there was anyone who he could trust not to shoot a synth on sight, it would be a Minuteman. Their meeting was brief, sure, but Carter found Curie's curiosity so endearing. He felt like since the minute he left 111, he was stuck at the bottom of the well, and Curie's optimism felt like a pleasant change.

 _Great, first you had the hots for the reporter, now the medic too? Make up your damn mind, idiot._ Carter scolded himself. Millions of questions rushed through his head, and none of Goodneighbor's deafening ruckus could drown it out. His encounter with Curie made him rethink his position with the Brotherhood. How could they hate something as pure and beautiful as her?

"You lost, pal?" a raspy voice called behind him. Carter turned around to see a man around his height, skinny as a rail and he looked as though his flesh had been turned inside out. His skin seemed like they had oozed off, and his pupils were bottomless black.

Then it hit him, this must be what Piper referred to as a non-feral ghoul.

"Uh, no. I'm good." Carter tried his best not to look as curious as he felt at the moment. The ghoul sported a worn red frock coat and a tricorn hat that made him look like he walked out of a history book. The way he walked convinced Carter that he knew his way around town already.

"Heh. No need to be so nervous. Goodneighbor's a free land, of the people, for the people, you dig?"

Carter chuckled, he had seen the Great War. Any government that promised they were for the people and of the people never fared well back in the day. "Of the people, for the people? Oh, brother."

The ghoul guffawed. "I like you already. Say, is that a Pip-boy? You're that vault dweller Nick Valentine told me about aren't you?"

Carter raised his eyebrows. "Nick's here?"

"Yeah, he's at the Third Rail. Tell Whitechapel Charlie that I'm buying you a drink, he won't charge you a cap for it." The ghoul theatrically tipped his hat as he slowly walked away from Carter.

"Uh," Carter hesitated as he looked at the shady sign that pointed towards the bar. "Who might you be, again?"

"Hancock. Mayor Hancock." The ghoul replied from afar, his voice slowly dissipated away as he disappeared into the Old State House.

* * *

The Third Rail turned out to be one of those old subway stations near Scollay Square. Carter remembered taking school trips around the area when he was but a schoolboy. Now, the inside of the station had been transformed into a dive bar, where humans and ghouls alike mingle with one another to get their buzz on. Various drugs splay around the tables, armed guards that dress like old gangsters stood by the entrance with their submachine guns nestled steadily in their arms.

Carter made his way down and saw Valentine sitting at the bar, conversing with a Mr Handy in a bowler hat behind the counter. A woman's soft crooning voice echoed from the stage next to the bar. The singer was a buxom black haired woman, the red dress she had on glinted as lights around her reflected on the shiny fabric. Her body moved in tune with the seductive melody that walked hand-in-hand with her weighty voice. He couldn't help but stare.

"Ah, you made it." Nick greeted him from the bar and patted the seat next to him, signaling Carter to sit on it. "This is Charlie." He motioned at the Mr Handy. An old bowler hat perched on top of the robot's head, and a worn out union jack sticker plastered on one side of its sphere.

"Hmph." The robot bartender gruffly replied as he continued to clean out his drinking glasses. "You buyin' or are you just crowding up my bar?"

The robot's attitude was definitely new to him, he had never seen a Mr. Handy act like this towards a human before. Regardless, he sat down on the chair and picked his poison. "Could use some whiskey here. On the rocks, courtesy of Mayor Hancock."

"Ah, the mayor always had a soft spot for newcomers." Charlie mused, putting down his drinking glass. One of his pincers took out a darkened bottle of whiskey from behind the counter. The liquor looked so rich it might turn anyone blind with a single sip. "Here you go, just don't go shooting up the place when you're plastered."

Carter took a sip, and the drink immediately made his head swim. The singer's voice echoed in his head, and he felt a sudden burst of confidence coursing through him.

"Hey, who's the singer?" he inquired at Charlie.

The robot's exhaust rattled at the question. "Ah. That's Magnolia, the flower of Goodneighbor," Charlie continued wiping down the drinking glasses piling behind the counter. "Don't try anything funny, yank. I might be rusty but I won't hesitate to use this here pincer to tear your limbs off."

Nick puffed out a smoke from his fresh cigarette and let out a hearty chuckle. "Always the charmer, ain't ya, Charles?"

The band playing behind Magnolia picked up their tempo, and her performance became raunchier as her body moved along to the beat, and her voice incited cheers from all over the bar. The neon lights above her head illuminated her sultry silhouette, remarks of admiration and lewd comments erupted from the audience as her set comes to an end.

Carter downed his whiskey in one long sip. He felt his head grow lighter and his brain foggy. The corners of his lips tug a small smile as Magnolia made her way towards him. With the liquor thwarting any sense of restraint left in him, he was ready to make his move.

Magnolia stopped her steps right in front of him and looked up. He had a good look of her pretty eyes and the subtle lines surrounding the corners of her lips. He liked how she seemed to read his mind and approached him directly.

"Excuse me, handsome," she chirped. "I think you're in my seat."

It took a few seconds for her words to wrap around his head, and before Carter could move, Charlie nudged at his elbow.

"Oi. This here's reserved for Mags. Bugger off someplace else."

Magnolia giggled at the sight, and brushed off the robot. "It's all right, Charlie. I quite like the view from over here." She sat on the barstool next to Carter and turned to face him, her legs crossed with the tips of her shoes brushing at his shin.

"Ella Fitzgerald." Carter said.

"I'm sorry?"

"You sound like Ella Fitzgerald. I was trying to remember the name, and now I have."

Magnolia was more than honored to be compared to a legendary pre-war singer. She let out a small laugh and gently put her hand on Carter's knee. "Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Why do you sing here, out of all places?" he asked.

"Goodneighbor's good to girls like me," Magnolia replied, taking a sip of her freshly poured bourbon. "Girls who have nowhere to go, with history that needs erasing."

"Huh. That makes two of us," Carter raised his now empty glass, the ice inside clinking quietly.

Magnolia leaned back and studied the man in front of her. "Something special about you," she mused. Her eyes scanned his face, catching the subtlest details—from the scar across his left brow to the spackle of freckles spread across the center of his face. "You've been through so much, I can tell. All the bumps and scratches the world has given you—but you just kept on pushing."

"It's been a hard road," Carter admitted. Magnolia called Charlie to top off his drink. She moved her hand from his knee to touch his fingertips.

"Would a gentle girl like me make you feel better?" she asked in a low, sultry voice.

Carter was slightly taken aback at how forward she was. Magnolia bit her bottom lips as her hands continued to brush at his fingers. He couldn't lie; he yearned for touch, and with all this whirlwind about Nora still in his mind... perhaps this was exactly what he needed.

"Any chance I could steal you away from the crowd?" His fingers grasped her hands, and his eyes grew darker with anticipation. Magnolia felt giddiness rushing through her as she squeezed her thighs together, excited for what's to come.

"Let me get my coat, handsome." She winked and walked away from the bar. Carter downed his last glass of whiskey and followed her outside.

So many voices in his head telling him to not go through with this, but at the moment, he couldn't care enough to think.

* * *

Soon, Carter found himself at Goodneighbor's Hotel Rexford, checking in with Magnolia in his arms. They hastily stripped each other's clothes and Carter couldn't believe how much he missed this—being enveloped in another person's touch, leaving kisses all over a woman's body, and the sounds of pleasure echoing off the walls were music to his ears. He continued to plant kisses on her neck as he felt himself getting closer to the edge. She moaned as he snapped his hips, leading him deeper within her.

Within seconds, they rode out their highest waves of pleasure and laid next to each other. Carter felt his head grow heavy as he lied on his back. Before he could say anything to the woman next to him, his vision turned black and he was asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Carter felt a head resting on his chest. He looked down, and Magnolia was still tangled within his arms. The sheets around them crumpled, and the cover was tossed around haphazardly around their bodies. He felt a pang of guilt gnawing at him as he watched Magnolia's chest heave as she breathed. He let out a heavy sigh and carefully laid her back down the mattress and concealed her nakedness with the covers. Carter quietly gathered his clothes that were strewn across the room and got dressed. Without even looking back, he hurriedly walked out the door and paid the night's fee at the front desk.

* * *

 **Hey!  
Sorry for the super short and pointless chapter. But I've been waiting to write Carter's first sexual encounter after he left the Vault. He seems kind of jerkish in this chapter, which is exactly what I wanted. **

**Stay tuned for more! I hope you like the brief sexytimes he had with Mags.**


	10. Memory Lane

Outside Hotel Rexford, Goodneighbor was bustling, even this early in the morning. The noises of people arguing and liquor bottles breaking almost overwhelmed his senses. Add that to his raging hangover, he felt like his head was about to explode.

"Had fun last night, kid?" a familiar voice called. Nick approached from the nearby bench as Carter adjusted his sight. The synth detective was idly waiting outside the hotel, tinkering with his metal appendages. "It's not every day a stranger gets a private time with the flower of Goodneighbor."

"How'd you know I was here?" Carter winced as pain shot at his head. After 200 years, a hangover's definitely not something he missed.

Nick shrugged. "Wouldn't take a detective to know where this particular kind of, uh, conquests happen," he adjusted his hat. "Besides, it wasn't like you were church mouse, if you catch my drift."

Carter groaned in embarrassment. He couldn't remember everything that went down last night, but he could be certain of one thing: he's very _loud_ whenever he has drunk sex, as his past partners have confirmed.

"You all right? Need a breather?" Nick put his hand on Carter's shoulder, patting him gently. "Anything I can do?"

Carter didn't offer an answer, he just sat on the bench with his head propped back against the wall and his eyelids closing.

"Unless you got a Hangover-be-Gone, I doubt it." Carter muttered.

Nick reached into one of his trench coat's pockets. "Well, this ain't no fix-all, but it should help," his metal fingers sifted through old crumpled letters, old cigarettes, lighters, and finally, a fresh Stimpak. "Hold out your arm." the synth instructed.

Carter did as he was told. He felt his arm go numb as the needle pierced his skin and the contents of spread through his bloodstream. Nick offered him a sip of purified water, of which he eagerly accepted. The water felt cool running down his throat, giving him the relief he craved.

"Look, as much as I want to know everything that went down last night, we really should get going. Amari's not one to wait." Nick motioned at the building right next to Rexford. He gave Carter's knee a brief pat as he stood back up on his feet. "Ready to find your boy?"

Carter's mind raced back to Shaun. His headache and nausea alleviated as he felt determination bubbling inside him. He promptly nodded. "Let's do this."

* * *

The Memory Den was one of the most ominous places Carter had been in. Unlike the rest of Goodneighbor, it was so quiet he could hear a pin drop. The only noise he could hear came from the radio, where Travis' awkward hosting could be heard. The two men made their way to the main lobby of the Den, and they were welcomed by a blonde woman sitting on a chaise with a haze of cigarette smoke lingering around her.

 _This is straight out of a noir novel_ , Carter thought.

"Why, there you are, Valentine. And here I thought you've forgotten all about ol' me." the woman crooned. Nick stepped closer to her as she stood on her feet.

"How could I forget about you, Irma?" Nick chuckled, taking off his hat. "Is the doc in the house?"

"Right this way, sugar." Irma said sweetly, motioning towards the back entrance. She averted her gaze towards Carter and invited him along. Carter made his way past Irma's chaise, and gave her a polite nod.

On their way down, Carter gave Nick a slight nudge. "So, Irma, huh?"

Nick nonchalantly shrugged. "Heh. It was a long time ago."

"Wouldn't your circuits overheat or some such?" Carter jested, holding in a chuckle.

"Plenty of ways to get the coolant pumping." Nick remarked.

Exaggerating a gasp, Carter chirped. "Nicky, you old dog!"

By the time they reached the bottom of the basement, the hallway was only illuminated by a single hanging overhead light. A single white painted door await at the end, and as the synth detective turned the knob, he revealed a well-lit room with an array of shiny research equipment all around. A middle-aged woman in a lab coat busily tinkered with a terminal. Half of her face was concealed by a crisp surgical mask, and a curious-looking capsule contraption stood motionlessly next to her.

"Amari? We're here," Nick called out, his voice echoed off the walls. "This a good time?"

Dr. Amari tugged down her surgical mask, exposing her face. She had a look of concern that was made even more prominent as her brows furrow together.

"Make this quick, Valentine. This is quite an unorthodox request you've asked me." Amari said. She reached into one of the cabinets to take out a fresh pair of rubber gloves. The material squeaked as her hands squeezed themselves in them.

"I know, doc. But only you have the know-how for this sort of thing. There's only so much a detective could do." Nick handed over the piece of brain tissue he harvested from Kellogg. Amari hastily grasped the plastic bag and placed the tissue on a petri dish before hooking it up to the capsule contraption. The capsule hummed to life and the tiny screen attached within lit up, showing an idle standby image.

"You ready, kid?" Nick motioned at the capsule as the glass container swooshes open. Carter's mind raced; what is this thing? Why is Amari so hesitant to work with us? He had a million questions, and no time to ask them.

"Wait, what's this? What are we doing?" Carter cautiously asked. He didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know that this might be a delicate operation, and he'd like to know what he's getting into before jumping in headfirst.

"This is a memory lounger, Carter." Amari chimed in.

Carter seemed perplexed. "Am I supposed to know what that is? Also, how'd you know my name?"

Amari waved her hand dismissively. "You'd be a fool if you think Valentine would come here without telling me all about you first. You'll get to explore Kellogg's memories through this lounger; where he grew up, how he got tangled with the Institute, and of course, his ties to Shaun." Amari approached Carter, looking up at him as they were inches from one another. "This piece of his brain will lead you to your son."

"She's right. But you need to be careful, I heard the lounger can be pretty disorienting for first-timers. Hell, some people don't even make it back in their first run." Nick said.

"Exactly. The lounger is much like diving into the ocean. You won't survive if you go too deep or too long." Amari warily responded, and promptly turned back to the terminal she was tinkering with. "Whenever you're ready." she said.

Carter looked over at Nick, and he nodded reassuringly in response. He strode over to the synth detective and gripped his shoulder. "If I don't make it out, promise me you'll bring Shaun home."

"Count on it, partner." Nick promised.

* * *

Carter sat himself down on the lounger. The glass container shut around him, fully containing him within the capsule. The tiny screen perched right on his eye line, and within a few seconds, the static turned vivid as the lights around him dissipated.

Trails of neurons spread like little pathways all around him. Outside those lines, a black void threatened to drag him down for eternity with no signs of escape. He could faintly hear the radio announcing news in the distance, and the smell of musty leather greeted his senses.

Carter made his way down Kellogg's memory lane. On the left, he saw a young child in a blue onesie in bed with a pile of comics.

 _This must've been Kellogg as a kid...if only you knew about the ruthless bastard you grew up to be_ , he thought.

He felt like wanting to take a closer look, but he could feel himself disappearing if he stopped moving, so he kept pressing forward. On the left, he saw Kellogg and a young woman cradling an infant. He felt a pang of jealousy as he watched the happy family share a good laugh with one another. Maybe he wasn't always a murderer, he had a good past. But that wasn't enough to extinguish the anger Carter still felt for him.

Further forward, his heart beat faster as he watched Kellogg commune with a woman in a white lab coat. The coat had a yellow lining across the front, with a curious insignia on her left breast. Two early generation synths cautiously paced around the room. _This must be when he first came in contact with the Institute,_ Carter thought. He knew he was getting closer with the memory he's looking for.

Not far from the previous memory, Carter's heart dropped as he witnessed Kellogg within the halls of Vault 111. Exactly where he and Nora were kept not too long ago. He hurriedly made his way past before he could hear anything, but the sound of Kellogg's gun blaring as he planted a bullet in Nora's head was enough to shoot a burst of pain through him. He felt tears building up, and he screamed, but nothing came out.

At the end of the road, he saw through muddled vision, Kellogg's house in Diamond City. Travis' voice from the radio echoed through the room. Kellogg was on his desk, disassembling his guns and polishing them. Carter felt his head grow light as he saw a young child on the floor, absent-mindedly throwing the dice on a Blast Radius game. He had his mother's eyes and hair color, a series of freckles decorated the perimeter of his face, just like Carter. There's no mistake, this is Shaun.

A sudden flash of light blinded him, and a very tall, intimidating man was suddenly present. Kellogg sighed and put his parts away.

"If you keep doing that, won't be long before people know I'm with the Institute." he said gruffly.

"That's your job to make sure it doesn't happen. We have a situation." the man said. "One of our top tier scientists had defected. His name's Brian Virgil, from Bioscience. Father had asked you to find him and eliminate him." he handed over a file folder to Kellogg.

He studied the file briefly before folding it shut. "All in a day's work." Kellogg said nonchalantly. "Any idea where he might be?"

"Our scouts have spotted him all the way out in the Glowing Sea. That won't be too much of a hassle for you, would it, Conrad?"

"If it's what the old man wants, the old man gets." Kellogg replied.

"Very well. I'm here to pick up the child." the mysterious man said tonelessly.

Kellogg nodded and gently helped Shaun get on his feet.

"You be good, Shaun." he advised.

Shaun nodded, and gave him a quick wave. "Bye, Mr. Kellogg. I hope I see you again sometime. Take care of my Grognaks, okay?"

The mystery man and Shaun stood side by side. "Hold still, and stay close to me. Courser X6-88, ready to relay with Shaun." As soon as the words were said, the same flash of light took them away from the room, disappearing without a trace. Carter readjusted his sight, and watched as Kellogg stood alone in his house.

"Bye." Kellogg said solemnly.

The TV adjacent to where Shaun was sitting suddenly lit up. The same idle screen from before the lounger was powered up appeared. Carter approached, and the next thing he heard was the glass container opening, and the lights of Doctor Amari's research room overwhelming his vision.

* * *

Carter rubbed his temples as he sipped on a glass of water. After he exited the lounger, all he wanted was to be left alone. His experience was strange, disorienting, and as much as he hated to admit it, made Kellogg seem more human than he previously thought.

The door creaked open, and Nick peered his head in. "Rough day for you, ain't it?" he closed the door behind him and tossed Carter a cold bottle of Nuka and a fat piece of mutfruit. Carter caught both items and stared at them blankly.

"Nick, I—"

"I know the Nuka's pretty stale, but Amari says the mutfruit should help."

He wasn't up for arguing further with the synth detective, and he complied. He took a generous bite of the mutfruit and sipped on Nuka. The combination of acidity and subtle sweetness rolled down his throat like rapture.

"Now, you feel like telling me what you saw in the lounger? God knows Amari's anxious to know too." Nick mused. He helped Carter put away the now empty bottle of Nuka and tossed the leftover mutfruit stalk.

Carter shook his head. "I saw him, Nick. My kid, Shaun. My God, he looks just like his mother," he muttered.

"It's not all bad, pal. At least now we know he's around. I'll ask around Diamond City about—"

"No, Nick! God, we both know he's not there anymore!" Carter interrupted. "I saw this guy. A courser, or whatever he was, took him by the hand and just disappeared in a flash! He's in the Institute!" he was left breathless after recalling what he saw. The thought of Shaun being held god knows where made him nauseous.

Nick paused. "Wait. Disappear in a flash? Like _teleporting_?"

Carter's thoughts were muddled, he couldn't find the right words. "Yeah, I guess. But listen to how crazy that sounds, Nick! Teleportation, for fuck's sake." he ran his hands through his hair, incredibly frustrated and conflicted. His emotions felt like a ball of tangled thread with no chance of being undone.

"What else did you hear? Come on, man, think." Nick stood up and gripped Carter by both shoulders. "Now, the only way we can find your boy is to get to the Institute. Now clear your head and think, what else did you hear?"

Carter squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to clarify his memory. "Some scientist fled the Institute. Kellogg was sent by the courser to go after him. His name's Brian Virgil."

Nick released his grip on Carter's shoulder. "Huh. I never knew people defect from the Institute. Any idea where we can find him?"

"The glowing sea," Carter nodded. "That's where he's hiding."

"Damn. No wonder the Institute thought twice about getting him. It's impossible to go through the sea without the rads cooking you from the inside out." Nick paced around the room, racking his brain to a point where he could feel his internal circuits whirring louder than usual. "I'm not made of skin and bones myself, so the rads won't do a thing to me. Can't say the same for you, unfortunately." Nick pointed out.

Carter thought of many possible ways for him to go through the glowing sea. The radiation would no doubt damage him irreparably if he wasn't careful, no matter how many rad-resistant pills he chug down.

"Can you find me a hazmat suit? And a bunch of RadAways would be good, too." Carter clasped his hands together, hoping the synth detective would come to his aid.

Nick shook his head. "It's no use, kid. You don't understand, the rads over at the sea are nothing compared to the ones you usually see here and there in the Commonwealth. Unless you go over or under, we got no way of reaching Dr. Virgil."

 _Go over?_ Suddenly, a switch was flipped and an idea emerged in his head. "I think I know someone that can help." Carter said. He haphazardly gathered his things and picked up his armor from the coat rack by the door. "How fast can we get to Cambridge police station?"

* * *

Carter briskly made his way upstairs where Amari and Irma were standing in.

"Ah, there you are. You seem to be in one piece." Amari remarked. "Will you be all right?"

Carter dug his hands deep into his pockets and took out a handful of caps. "For your troubles, doc. Thanks for seeing us." he said. "Nick, you ready to go?"

Nick put his hat back on and patted Irma's shoulder goodbye. As the two men made their way towards the Memory Den's exit, Nick stopped Carter at the hallway.

"Kid, you really think getting the Brotherhood involved in this is a good idea? You know they ain't real fond of metal men like me?"

Carter hesitated briefly. "I know. I can't do anything to change their beliefs, but I can vouch for you."

"How far will an initiate vouching for a synth gonna get us?" Nick sarcastically asked, and as much as Carter hated to admit it, there was a spark of truth to it.

"At least they won't shoot us on sight. That's got to be good enough." Carter said, not entirely sure whether he meant it or not. He pushed the exit door open, and saw that the clouds hung heavy over Goodneighbor.

Carter couldn't wait to get out of Goodneighbor until he saw a buxom black-haired woman wearing a coat that's a few sizes too large for her. Underneath the coat, he could see her sequined red dress glimmering even under the dim sunlight. He groaned when he realized who it was, sitting on a bench outside the Third Rail with her arms and legs crossed, her eyes staring blankly at the pavement.

"Hey, Nick. Could you give me a sec? I'll catch up with you outside." Carter said without looking at the synth. Nick understood what he meant and complied.

"Sure, pal. I'll see you in a bit." Nick walked towards Goodneighbor's main gate, eventually disappearing among the crowds.

Carter carefully made his way towards Magnolia. Her face looked so much clearer to him in the daylight, and it was hard not to notice the aura of melancholy looming over her, and it killed him to think that he might be the cause of it.

"Mags?" he gently put a hand on her shoulder. Magnolia turned her head, and flashed him a smile. The pain that he saw on her face disappeared without a trace.

"Hey there, handsome. Wasn't sure I was gonna see you again."

Carter let out a dry chuckle and awkwardly shoved his hands down his pockets. "Listen, about last night. I—"

Magnolia stood up and put her finger on his lips, shushing him. "Don't you worry about a thing. You and I both know we can't afford to get attached. We had a good time, so let's leave it at that." she stood on her toes and gave Carter a peck on the cheek.

He didn't want to feel relieved, but he did. He gave Magnolia's hand a reassuring squeeze, and let them go. "Bye, Mags." he said, offering a brief smile.

"Wait," Magnolia halted his steps, and brought herself closer to him, their faces inches away from each other. "Whenever you listen to the radio, know that I'll sing with you in mind." she whispered.

"You deserve someone better than me." Carter cringed to himself at his words, but he hoped it would be enough to alleviate him from the guilt of ditching her in the morning.

Magnolia let out a hearty laugh. "It's not just you, sweetheart. I sing about all my lovers." she mused."I should go. My poor audience's probably wondering where I am. _Ciao_ for now, vault dweller." she gave him a wave before entering the Third Rail, disappearing behind a crowd of triggermen watching the entrance.

* * *

 _Earlier that morning..._

Magnolia's eyes flutter open, and was greeted by the ceiling of her usual room at Hotel Rexford. She felt the warmth of the covers concealing her body, making the bed felt even cozier. She moved her arm to the space next to her, and her heart sank when she only found cold, empty sheets next to her. She sat up, and immediately came to the realization that her lover was gone.

She let out a heavy sigh, and tossed the cover to the side. She made her way to the in-room bar and made herself a drink. In the mirror, she saw a woman with a tired, sleepy face and mussed hair staring back at her. She was used to one-night stands, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't tired of this. A tear streamed down her cheek, and her mascara ran with it. She gently wiped the tear away and made her way to the bathroom where she splashed some water on herself. After making herself look somewhat presentable, she got dressed and left the room. At the front desk, she found that the room's been paid for, and her coat was still yet to be checked out.

"By the way, the guy who paid for the room left this for ya," the front desk lady said. She was an old, black woman with a grumpy disposition who ran the hotel. "Hey, at least he paid for the room, Mags." she commented, which shot a pang of pain at Mags.

She could only respond with a smile. "Thanks, Clair. You're a doll." Magnolia said, and she made her way out the door. She opened the note that Carter left her, and felt her heart sank even deeper.

 _Thanks. I had fun._

That was all it said.

She tossed the note to the nearby trashcan and made her way to the Third Rail, she couldn't wait to get her mind off of him, at least for a while.

* * *

 **Hey!**

 **Oh here we go! The plot thickens, as the kids say.**

 **Thanks for staying tuned! I'm really glad to see that you guys enjoy the story and following Carter's adventures. I'd love to post a screenshot of him somewhere so that y'all can see what he looks like. Any ideas where I should post? Tumblr? Pastebin? Lol**

 **Fallout belongs to Bethesda.**


	11. Semper Invicta

Nick Valentine idly paced around the exit area of Goodneighbor. He had an idea what Carter might be up to as he saw him and Magnolia speak privately near The Third Rail. The synth stuck another cigarette to his mouth and reached around his many pockets to find his lighter.

"Damn it," he cursed as the lighter won't emit anything more than a few sparks. "Outta juice." he shoved the lighter back deep into his trench coat pocket. His bright yellow eyes scanned the area for someone that might be able to lend him a hand, which would be quite rare in a neighborhood like this. His sights landed on a scruffy young man sitting by his lonesome on a bench. The sniper rifle sitting beside him looked gigantic compared to his slightly scrawny frame, and he seemed utterly unfazed by his surroundings as he took sips of Gwinett Ale he kept concealed underneath a paper bag.

"Excuse me," Nick greeted. "Was wondering if—"

"Look, man," the other man interjected. "If you're here to preach about Atom or whatever, you got the wrong guy." he continued sipping his ale without looking at the detective. "If you're looking for a hired gun, though, maybe we can talk."

"Heh. Was just gonna borrow a lighter, but I guess we got different interests in mind." Nick looked at the man sitting before him and shrugged. "Well, thanks anyways."

As Nick was about to walk away, the man suddenly realized who he was speaking to. "Hold up. You're Nick Valentine, right? From Diamond City?"

Nick was used to being recognized around the Commonwealth, as it would be pretty hard to forget a mug like his. "I know you from somewhere?" he asked.

"Well, no. I'm MacCready, I operate around these parts after Hancock let me through," he picked up his sniper rifle and holstered it around his back. "I think I might have a job for you." MacCready's eyes lit up with anticipation.

Nick hesitated, and let out a sigh. "I'd love to help you, kid, but my hands are kinda full at the moment. Why don't you run this by my assistant over at Diamond City?"

"I promise I won't take much of your time. I got caps, whatever you need." MacCready took out a small bag and gave it a little shake, emitting a jingling sound from within.

"It ain't about the caps, it's just—it's a long story," Nick shook his head. "But sure, what do you got for me?"

MacCready sighed in relief and adjusted his hat. "Alright, so here's my predicament..."

* * *

After leaving Goodneighbor, Carter was immediately reminded of his days in the army. He and Nick had to skulk around behind car wrecks or walk close to walls as though they both had bullseye painted on their backs. Their concern wasn't completely out of proportion; the downtown area was crawling with gunners and raiders alike who won't hesitate to empty their guns on them.

As they made their way further from Scollay and towards Cambridge, a familiar monument caught Carter's eye, and he reflexively pointed at it like a child. Nick's eyes followed the direction he was pointing at. A grey stone tower reached up to the skies with slight glints of hanging lights reflecting in the dim daylight.

"There," Carter said. "I can't believe Bunker Hill's still standing."

"Better believe it. It's actually a pretty established settlement at this point, all the caravans and traders you see walking around the 'Wealth always come through here." Nick explained. His mind wandered to the memories he had about Bunker Hill, and the synth looked at the man next to him. His metal chest felt heavier as he was awash with nostalgia.

Nick shook it off and cleared his throat. "Well, the precinct's over that way. Guess we ain't going through the Hill today." he said.

Carter's eyes were still fixated on the tower and made a mental note to visit. He remembered strolling around the area with Nora, their fingers intertwining as they shared stories and laughter. He was worried that the Hill would be reduced to rubble, but hearing that it became a thriving community provided some degree of relief to him.

"We should drop by sometimes," he said.

"You seem to be real fond of the place." Nick mused.

"Heh. Be lying if I said I wasn't." Carter let out a chuckle. "Anyways, who was that guy you were talking to when we left Goodneighbor?"

Nick was reminded of the conversation he had with the scrawny mercenary he stumbled upon.

"A prospective client. Guy's name is MacCready, a small-time merc, he was," Nick explained as they continued walking down the empty street. "Told me something was up with his kid. He's terribly sick, said he had blue boils all over his body."

Carter's eyes went wide at the mental image. "Shit. Will he make it?"

"That's the thing. That merc traveled all the way to the Commonwealth from D.C to find a cure, I guess it's up to the synth to find where it might be."

The thought of someone else losing their child made Carter's stomach churn. Nick seemed to notice his shift in expression and nudged him.

"I guess if you're up for it, you can put on a detective hat. MacCready promised he'd work for us as an extra gun for free if we can find it."

Carter shrugged. "I don't know, Nick. What makes you so sure he won't plant a bullet in your head?"

"I don't. That's one of the main thrills of this line of work."

The two walked in silence for a brief moment as Carter was lost in his thoughts. The pre-war moral compass within him repeatedly reprimanded him for the fact that he was hesitant to lend a hand to a fellow father to save their child.

"Think I might need to have a few words with this guy," Carter said. "Can you send word to Goodneighbor, maybe a few days from now?"

"Count on it." Nick replied, a satisfied smile splayed across his face.

* * *

Carter couldn't believe he was looking at the same police precinct he set foot in a week ago. The courtyard that used to be filled with rotting feral corpses were cleaned up, replaced by military barriers and humming live turrets that were ready to fill any intruder's insides with lead. A group of Brotherhood soldiers roam the area, a couple of them fully decked out in power armor and heavy guns. Spotlights mounted on tops of the building illuminated the surrounding area, minimizing any chance of raider ambush or any more ferals slipping into the precinct.

"Hold it right there!" a female soldier raised her laser rifle towards the two men approaching the precinct. Nick's mechanical appearance stuck out like a sore thumb, and Carter had a feeling the only reason she didn't open fire was because he, as a human, was standing next to him. "State your business, wastelander, or take a walk."

"Easy," Carter slowly lowered his arms and cautiously approached the soldier. "My name's Carter Howard, I've been granted the rank of initiate by Paladin Danse."

The female soldier remained unfazed. "You think I'm an idiot? Where's your uniform, initiate?" she asked condescendingly. "What's this—this thing you brought with you? Get out of my sight, synth, before I melt you to slag." she aimed her barrel towards Nick, still with his hands up.

"Knight! That's enough!" a familiar commandeering voice erupted from the precinct's main door. Carter looked over to the source of the voice. Danse made his way down the steps towards the courtyard. The Knight lowered her laser rifle and saluted the paladin. "Sir, this wastelander brought a synth to the premises, and—"

"Yes, I heard you before." Danse interjected. His thick brows furrowed at Carter and looked disapprovingly at Nick.

"Paladin Danse," Carter greeted, he was filled with relief as he crossed paths with the stoic paladin once more. "I need your help." he continued with a tone of urgency in his voice.

Danse's stiff military posture remained unchanged. Carter didn't expect Danse to treat him like an old friend, but the fact that he saw very little reaction from the paladin made him anxious. He was reminded of his early days in the army.

"Initiate. Get yourself inside and change. We'll talk soon." Danse commanded. Carter's shoulders drop as the tension decreased. He looked over at Nick, still standing uneasily behind him.

"Let's go." Carter motioned at the synth to follow him.

"Not so fast," Danse turned around and pointed at Nick. "I won't have this abomination set foot inside my station." he remarked sternly as he shot Nick a dirty look, as though he was nothing but rotting mole rat carcass splayed on the pavement.

"Well. Aren't you a ray of sunshine," Nick scoffed as he sat on one of the vacant chairs near the barricades. "Go on then, kid. I'll be right here."

"That won't be necessary, synth. Make yourself scarce." said Danse.

"Wait, Paladin, I don't think—" Carter tried to defend the synth, and he would soon realize that his efforts were futile.

"That won't be necessary, Initiate." he dismissed Carter.

Nick let out a heavy sigh as he stood back up, adjusting his hat. "Guess I'll see you around, kid." he muttered. He gave Carter a quick wave goodbye and made his way out of the station.

"Be safe, Nick." Carter shouted from afar. He mouthed an apology to the synth as he followed Danse inside the police station.

The main lobby of the station had been turned into a mess hall of sorts. A couple of tables and sets of chairs take up a good amount of space in the room, along with food and water supplies filling the shelves. More Brotherhood knights mingle inside, each of them busy with something. One of them ate Cram straight out of the can, another polished their laser rifle, and some others bantered with one another.

"Things have been improving since the Prydwen arrived," Danse said as he noticed Carter's look of awe upon re-entering the station. "You saw that ship, didn't you? If the Prydwen's here, that means Elder Maxson's also here."

Carter racked his mind and remembered Danse mentioning Maxson. Before he could ask any more questions, a knight promptly showed up and handed over a standard-issue Brotherhood uniform. The fabric felt unfamiliar as it grazed Carter's hands, the orange color reminded him of fighter pilots' uniforms back before the war.

"You know, you could've been nicer to Nick back there." Carter remarked, he felt his chest flush as he was visibly upset at the way Brotherhood soldiers treated the old synth.

"I won't give a technological abomination my time of day, and neither should you. You're lucky we didn't shoot you on sight." Danse said sternly.

"I'm not saying you should exchange friendship bracelets. Not treating him like garbage would be a good start." Carter spat.

"I don't intend to discuss this any longer, initiate." Danse put emphasis on Carter's inferior status as he bore his eyes on him. "And if I recall correctly, you're the one who needs my help. The Brotherhood's help."

Carter felt defeated, and saw no point in arguing. He swallowed his pride and replied, "Yes, Paladin."

* * *

Later that night, Carter laid everything on the table to Danse. His heart pounded as he was faced with millions of different outcomes, very few of which ending up with possible reunion with his son.

"My God," Danse exclaimed. They were speaking privately in the former interrogation room of the precinct and after Carter told him the details of what he saw in the memory den, Danse was nothing short of perplexed. "Initiate, don't you see? You might hold the key to infiltrating this Institute."

"Which won't be possible without all the help I can get," Carter replied. "I will most certainly die exploring the glowing sea all by myself."

"What do you propose, Initiate?" Danse inquired, his expression skeptical.

"All I need is a vertibird to come see Virgil," he stated. "I know the coordinates, it's located far to the south. If I want any chance of surviving, this is it." he sighed heavily, knowing what a long shot his request was now that he said it out loud.

Danse paused, putting some thought into the initiate's request. After briefly pacing around the interrogation room, he came to a decision.

"Tomorrow, you're going up to the Prydwen."

Carter's brows furrowed. "Up the Prydwen? Why?"

"You'll be reporting to Maxson yourself and propose your idea. With any luck, he'll grant you the rank of knight and provide you the necessary support." Danse rested his hands on the table. "I'll act as your sponsor, hopefully that should convince the higher-ups easier."

"All right," he complied.

"In the meantime, you should go and do some recon with Haylen and Rhys—familiarize yourself with Brotherhood ideals, so what happened in the yard won't repeat itself." Danse continued sternly. Before exiting the room, Danse stopped in his tracks and turned to Carter. "Oh. Also, put your uniform on."

Soon enough, Carter folded the clothes he had on him and stored it on one of the intact lockers at the lockup. The uniform felt snug on him. The somewhat stretchy fabric exposed the shape of his backside a little bit more than he's comfortable with. As he re-entered the mess hall, he was once again met with Knight Rhys. His familiar sharp gaze punctured Carter, and he had no doubt Rhys had already heard about the incident with Nick.

"Wasn't sure I was gonna see you again, wastelander." said Rhys gruffly. "Bringing a synth to our base. What kind of—"

"I was told to do some recon work with you, so why don't we skip the pleasantries and get on to brass tacks, huh?" Carter interrupted.

"Fine." Rhys spat. "We're to clear out the ghouls from College Square, and I mean every single last one of them. Unless, of course, you're too much of a bleeding heart to do that?"

Carter rolled his eyes. "Let's get to it, then."

The two men reluctantly packed their ammunition and made their way out the door. Rhys handed Carter a spare standard-issue Brotherhood armor, and the impact of the material hanging on to him immediately made him feel 10 pounds heavier.

"College Square is right next to the precinct, place's crawling with ferals. We're here to make sure other soldiers have a safe passage coming in and out of the station without having to detour all the way around Cambridge," Rhys said, strapping his laser rifle to his back and loaded a fresh fusion cell into its chassis. "Ready to roll, rookie?" he asked as he secured his armor.

"Sure am." Carter replied. Rhys nodded and they made their way through mess hall and into the courtyard.

"Hey, come on now, I know the guy! Carter Howard? Tall, shaved head, Pip-boy on his arm?" a familiar shrill voice could be heard all the way from where Carter was standing. He held in a chuckle as he realized who might be waiting for him.

"I'm sorry ma'am, civilians aren't allowed access to the base unless it's an emergency. It's protocol."

Piper looked over the female knight and landed her sights at Carter, who flashed her a hearty smile. "Well, I mean, if it's protocol," she shrugged. "What can you do, right?"

The female soldier was slightly puzzled by the reporter. She turned around and saw Carter and Rhys making their way to the outer perimeter of the base. The female soldier scoffed. "You sure keep the strangest company, don't ya, initiate?"

Carter brushed off her comment and gave Piper a brief hug. Rhys groaned at the sight and impatiently tapped his feet.

"Are we gonna stand here all day? Let's go, we got a job to do."

Piper looked at Carter and crossed her arms defiantly. He let out a heavy sigh and put his hand on her shoulder. "You're not gonna let me tell you to stay, are you?"

"Nope." she grinned.

"This mission is not suitable for civilians. I won't be held responsible if anything happens to her." Rhys said as he glared down at Piper. She was way shorter than him, and Rhys was ready to scold her like he would a child.

"I understand," Piper said. "I'll follow your lead, Knight."

* * *

The three of them set out to College Square, less than a mile east of the precinct. Sure enough, what Carter remembered as the buzzing center of intellectuals were infested by ferals. They were perched atop diner roofs, stumbling in the middle of the street, even some of them were gnawing on the flesh of some poor dead wastelander splayed across the concrete. The smell was enough to spin the head of anyone unfortunate enough to be in its proximity.

Rhys took a vantage point up top, above an old bookshop while Carter positioned himself behind a road barrier, with Piper perching by his side. He aimed his rifle at one of the ferals stumbling mindlessly near a newsstand, and pulled the trigger. The laser beam split the creature in half, until it fell to the ground and twitched out its last slivers of life.

"So," Carter said, fingers still lingering around his trigger. "How'd you find me here?"

"Nick told me about what happened when he got back to Diamond City," Piper said, keeping her voice low to avoid alerting the ferals. Another feral was shot down by Rhys from above, and another feral by its proximity lost a leg from the laser beam. "Pleasant surprise, huh?" Piper continued.

"Be lying if I said it wasn't," Carter replied, putting down another feral. Piper felt herself blush at his words.

"Hey, um," she pressed her lips together. "Why don't I try my hand at this?"

Carter quietly scooted over and let her take over. His left hand holds the rifle steady, as Piper positioned herself beneath his arms, with her eyes looking through the crosshairs.

"Alright, steady," Carter whispered, his right hand lingered around Piper's fingers on the trigger. "Get that one right there, up top."

Piper felt his breath hot against the back of her neck, and she won't lie—it gave her chills. The feeling of his body protectively positioned over her made her feel as fragile as a bird. She steadily aimed the rifle at the feral on the roof.

"Okay, now!" Carter quietly exclaimed, his fingers intertwined with hers and the rifle let out a hum as it fired its laser beam. Piper felt herself fluster more and tried to readjust herself. Her shoulder accidentally bumped the rifle's handle and bent the aim to the opposite direction.

The beam went right over the feral's head and onto a series of can chimes near him. The sound blared throughout the courtyard, alerting every single feral ghoul in the area, as they frantically ran around looking for the source of the noise.

"Shit!" Rhys shouted from the vantage point as he rapidly shot at every feral that dared come near him. Carter did the same, as he hastily picked up his rifle and aimed for the legs of ferals charging at him. Bullet casings fall and echoed from Piper's 10mm as she joined the two men in annihilating the ferals.

Rhys jumped down from where he stood and on to the top of a pickup truck. A horde of ferals tried climbing up to where he was, only to be blasted by his laser beams. Not long afterwards, Carter noticed one feral ghoul that wouldn't fall down no matter how many beams or bullets they put in him. The feral was blackened, as though he was incinerated all these years after the war, and he had a distinct green glow emitting from within him.

"Blue! Watch out!" Piper called out. "It's a glowing one!"

Carter didn't hesitate to rain down his laser beams on it, but it didn't flinch. It lurched itself towards him, and he very narrowly avoided his grasp. Piper continuously fired shots towards its cranium, which further agitated the glowing feral. The feral made a beeline for her. Carter desperately tried to cripple its legs by shooting at it over and over again, to no avail. "Rhys!" Carter shouted. "Help us out!"

Rhys ran towards them and his automatic laser receiver hailed down on the feral. The light emitting from his weapon and the liquid substance coming from the feral glowed in the dark night. The feral launched itself at Piper and rode her like a piggyback. Piper exclaimed in pain as its radioactive substance dripped on her skin, burning it like a corrosive. Her head spun as the radiation levels within her spiked. She was immediately dragged to the ground, and the glowing feral dug its claws at her arm, pinning her down. Piper winced in pain as the feral's talons drew blood, and her vision grew darker from the radiation poisoning.

Carter and Rhys dislodged the glowing monstrosity off of her and pinned at its arm with their feet. With both men's combined weight, the feral was easily overpowered. Carter stomped at its face, destroying its jaw. Rhys dealt the final blow as he bashed the feral's cranium with his laser rifle's heavy handle. Twitching helplessly on the ground, the glowing feral croaked one last time before lying still on the pavement.

Looking over nearby, Carter rushed over to Piper's side, groaning helplessly. He saw the blood running down her forearm, and her bloodshot eyes signified her radiation levels were so much more than she could handle. "Pipes, stay with me." he exclaimed, his arms holding her steadily.

"We gotta get her back to the station!" Carter said, with obvious panic set in his tone. "Rhys?"

Rhys hesitated, he knew he shouldn't have let a civilian join them in this mission, but she was human, and it was his responsibility to lend a hand to his fellow man. He eventually nodded. "Let's go, she might just make it." he said as he propped Piper's arm around his shoulder, helping Carter safely transporting her back to the precinct.

"Blue," Piper croaked out. "I..."

Carter hushed her. "We're close, Piper. We'll make it." he reassured her.

"No, I'm...uh," she struggled with her words. She coughed and tasted the thick, salty blood coming up her throat, threatening to spew out. "I'm a real bad shot... aren't I?"

He chuckled as they arrived at the outer perimeter of the precinct. Brotherhood soldiers gathered around and helped her up on a gurney. Carter stayed by her side, pushing the gurney along the courtyard and inside the station.

"You could use a lesson or two." he said, squeezing her shoulder. His other hand removed her brown leather press hat, and brushed the hairs sticking to her forehead. Piper managed to tug a tiny smile before her wooziness took over, and her vision went black.

* * *

The next morning, Carter barely slept a wink. As a result, he couldn't remember the last time he was this tired. He let himself rest in the makeshift dorm area of the precinct, and he heard the door creak open as he started to drift off to sleep.

"Initiate," Danse's heavy voice snapped him back awake. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

Carter looked over and saw that Scribe Haylen was right behind him. He stretched himself out and let out a sigh. "Apparently not, Paladin."

Danse's expression remained stoic as he set down his cup of coffee. "Well, I hope you have enough energy to go up the Prydwen today."

"I'll be fine," Carter said. "It's just that, Piper Wright? The woman who fought beside me and Rhys last night?"

"She's stable as of now, Initiate." Haylen replied. "Me and the other scribes are working around the clock to make sure she's okay." she nodded, rubbing Carter's arm reassuringly. Carter smiled gratefully at her.

"Well, then. Shall we? Kells is not one to wait." Danse said, turning around to head upstairs. "I'll be waiting for you at the rooftop. Time is of the essence, Initiate." he continued.

Danse left the room, and Carter looked over at Haylen. "Thanks, Scribe Haylen." he said. "I really don't know how to thank you."

"Look, it's not the wisest move that you brought a civilian into a firefight. But you're one of us, now. And we take care of our own." Haylen said, smiling briefly at him. "Now come on, I believe you got an appointment with Kells."

He nodded and didn't waste any time heading up to where Danse waited for him. Carter tied up his boots and headed up the roof where a vertibird was perched, and Danse was already in the cabin. He motioned his hand, telling Carter to go on up as the whirring of the vertibird grew louder.

"Welcome aboard, initiate," the pilot greeted over the sound system. "We'll be taking off in a moment."

The vertibird lifted off the ground, and within the span of a few minutes, Carter saw just how ravaged the Commonwealth was from the skies. In more harrowing moments, he saw multiple super mutant nests and mutated creatures attacking civilians down on the ground.

"The minigun's loaded and ready to bring the pain. Make sure you know what you're shooting at, we wouldn't want to have a misfire and harm any civilian." Danse said, patting the minigun next to him.

Carter took the minigun and blasted everything he could from above. His ears were deafened by hailing bullets coming from the gun.

"Easy! Watch your fire, initiate!" Danse yelled, and it literally fell upon deaf ears. Carter felt his head ringing with all the overwhelming noise around him and plopped himself back on one of the cabin's seats.

The vertibird apporached the Prydwen and latched itself on one of the ship's landing pods. Hopping out, a tall, black man in blue Brotherhood fatigues await. Danse promptly saluted him and reported their arrival.

"Report, Paladin." the man said.

"Captain Kells. This is Initiate Howard. I've granted him the rank of initiate, and I'd like to sponsor his knighthood."

"Yes. I've read your reports," Kells turned his attention to Carter, still flushed red from the adrenaline. "You should go up and report to the Elder. Know that it is an honor for a soldier like Paladin Danse to vouch for you like this."

"Yes, sir." Carter replied.

* * *

 **Hey look! Piper's back in the picture! I've been itching to write more tender moments between these two. It's quite a slow burn so far.**

 **Thanks for staying tuned!**


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